


Winter's Moon

by only_by_the_stars



Category: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Video Game), The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, background established zelimpa
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-13 00:47:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 67,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29518287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/only_by_the_stars/pseuds/only_by_the_stars
Summary: Things haven't been easy for Mipha ever since her family fell on hard times, and she finds herself struggling to keep her head above water as she juggles work, school, and a dismal personal life. Just as she hits her lowest point, she receives an offer that could change her entire life... but at what price? [An AU based on the fairy taleEast of the Sun and West of the Moon.]
Relationships: Link/Mipha (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 131
Kudos: 40





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, all! I'm back with a brand new AU, one that I'm very excited to share with you all. This project may end up putting _a place to start_ on the back burner for a while, which I am sorry about, but I hope you'll enjoy this story as well. Let me know what you think in the comments! <3

Mipha slammed the last box down on her desk and sighed. "Why is it," she muttered, "That you never truly realize just how much stuff you own until you have to move it?" 

"I dunno, but it's a pain in the ass, isn't it?" She turned to see her roommate, Impa, standing in the doorway. She was grinning, but looked just as exhausted as Mipha felt. “Is that the last of it, then?" 

“Unless I missed something hiding under my car seats, yes.” Mipha sighed and stretched her sore arms. “I take it you are finished?”

“Depends on what you mean by that. Done bringing it all in? Yeah. Done unpacking? Fuck no.” Impa's grin became sheepish. “I got _started_ , but then I got distracted. You know me.”

“I do, and I am not surprised.” She laughed. “We've been at this all day. Take a break, you deserve it.”

“That's the plan.” Impa rolled her shoulders and let out a huge sigh. “I got most of the really important stuff that can't wait unpacked, and now I'm gonna let Zelda buy me some pizza. You wanna come with?”

“No, you go on ahead.” Mipha shook her head and laughed again. “Thank you for the offer, but I don't wish to be a third wheel. Enjoy your date!”

“Oh, come on, it's not like that.” Impa rolled her eyes. “It'd just be a girls night out, I promise we won't make it weird for you. You need a break too.”

“And I will take one, I promise.” Mipha smiled gently. “I just want to get a few more things done, and then I swear I shall go find something in the fridge to eat and rest afterwards. I simply don't have the energy for going out at this point, that's all.”

“Eh, fair enough.” Impa shrugged. “If you change your mind, though, feel free to come join us. You know you're always welcome.”

“I do know. Thank you.” Mipha smiled. “Have a good time.”

“When do I not?” She grinned again. “See you, Mipha. Try not to work too hard!”

“Thank... you.” She let herself trail off and turn back to the box, as Impa disappeared down the hallway and out the front door. There wasn't very far for her to go, after all, as the house wasn't very large. Hell, her own room seemed about as big as the closet in her childhood bedroom, especially with all these boxes cluttering it up. Mipha's hands went still on the lid flaps at the thought, and she abruptly had to blink back tears.

_I've moved too many times these past few years..._

First had been to the small rental home when her father's business had faltered and they'd lost the mansion she grew up in. Then to another one a year later when the owner had decided to sell it out from under them. That second one had opened up across the street when the renters had been evicted, conveniently at just the right time, but it had still been a huge hassle to pack everything up all over again and move it. Then of course had come moving back and forth between her dorm and home at the beginning and end of her first semesters in college. And now, with campus housing prices going up and this little place being somehow cheaper for her and Impa to rent, _another_ move. _Hylia_ , she was so very tired of this. 

“I just want to _stay_ somewhere,” she murmured, trying to will away the tears that threatened. “Somewhere stable and quiet...”

_But that probably won't be an option for quite some time..._

Mipha sighed. At least she hadn't had to work today, that was some small comfort. Her boss had been a royal pain in the ass, as Impa would put it, about giving her a day off to move, but had eventually agreed. Grumbling all the way, but he'd agreed. She had to be in bright and early tomorrow, though, starting her weekend off in _such_ a perfect way. It was part of why she'd wanted to stay in tonight—the more she could get done before bed, the less she'd have to do when she came home tomorrow sore and tired after her shift. Not that she wasn't sore and tired now, but it was a different kind of weariness, in a way.

Moping about it wasn't going to get anything done, though. Mipha allowed herself one more groan and then set to work. At least she didn't have all the clothes to put away that Impa did. She could just pull a shawl out of the box next to her dresser and go, leave that particular chore for later. Sorting everything else was going to be a problem, though. So little space and what looked like a mountain of belongings to put in it. Even if she did have a lot less than she used to.

 _School things can stay here on my desk, jewelry next to the dresser... books in the closet, I suppose?_ She frowned. Maybe it would better to just leave some stuff in the boxes, to make it easier on herself in the event that they had to move again in the near future. It was hard not to worry about that, honestly. The thought of leaving everything like that instead of making it look nice grated on her, but with so few options it might just be best. Or maybe she just didn't feel like unpacking it now and wanted to leave it for later and get some rest. That was a dangerous thought, though; she tended to be so busy lately that there was a very real threat she'd put it off and never get back to it because she was _always_ tired and overworked these days.

Oh well. It wouldn't be the end of the world if she let herself take a break and kept her stuff boxed up till she had more time. Not like Impa was going to judge her, anyway. Mipha stretched again and turned to face the pile of boxes. The annoying thing was that they all looked alike, and she hadn't had time to write the exact contents on all of them, so they needed to be opened first. That was going to slow her down, and she hated it. With another sigh, she knelt down and began to pull the tape away. 

She'd just gotten her clothing and jewelry boxes shoved over beside the dresser when her phone buzzed. Opening it up, Mipha found a text from Impa reading 'Here's what you're missing!', followed by a picture of her and Zelda posing with slices of pizza. Mipha smiled. At least _someone_ was having a good time right now. Her first impulse was to to text her back with exactly that, but she didn't want to worry them, so she settled for sending an emoji and setting the phone on her desk. No more distractions.

There were two boxes full of books, and Mipha regretted once more that she hadn't divided her collection into at least three, so that these wouldn't be so damned heavy. She was out of breath again just getting them into the tiny closet in her already-exhausted state. The plastic tote with her spare bed sheets was thankfully a lot lighter, and she shoved it into a corner. That just left the one with all her important paperwork—stored on top of the sheets for now—and another box full of miscellaneous items. 

_Maybe that could be fun to look through._ Mipha's stomach suddenly growled, and she let out a weak laugh. _After dinner, of course_. At this point she couldn't quite remember what they'd cleared out of the dorm fridge before they moved and what they'd kept, and she could only _hope_ there was something edible in there for her. She started out the door, only to turn back and grab her phone off the desk before continuing to the little kitchen. Impa probably wasn't going to text or call her again unless something went wrong, but just in case something _did_ , she didn't want to miss an important message. 

The light bulb in the fridge flickered as she opened it; Mipha ignored it, more focused on examining what little there was inside. They _definitely_ needed to go shopping. Impa had tomorrow morning off, so she could do it. Mipha usually preferred to handle it herself, but it really couldn't be helped this time. And as long as Impa had a list to stick to, she'd be fine. So it wouldn't be that bad. The bigger problem was finding something good to fill her stomach with _now_. All she could see was a jug of milk, a half-empty carton of eggs, some assorted bottles of juice and soda with Sheikah labels on them that she couldn't read, and a jumble of items that had been dumped on another shelf. Heaving a sigh, Mipha bent down to start sorting through the pile.

It wasn't much more promising than the rest of the offerings. Deli meat and cheese, some of which looked a little questionable, half a ham sandwich from a convenience store, a pre-packaged salad that _also_ looked questionable, two open bags of the same kind of shredded cheese, a mustard bottle, and... oh, salvation! A vaccuum-sealed package of smoked salmon. It wasn't the ideal dinner, but it'd do. Ignoring the rest of the items on the shelf—they could be sorted and put in proper places another time—Mipha shut the fridge door and headed to the scratched up old table with her treasure.

Her gaze wandered to the back window as she ate. The glass was scratched up too, and dirty, but she could still see clearly out of it. They had a tiny backyard barely worthy of being called that, that backed up onto a large piece of vacant property that had been for sale for five years, according to the agent that had handled this place. It looked more like a forest, honestly, with all the trees and complete lack of any signs that anyone had ever lived there. Impa had said she'd heard the sound of running water when she went out there, and that there was supposed to be a creek nearby. Maybe she'd go exploring sometime soon, just to clear her head when things got too overwhelming. If she ever got a free moment, of course.

It would have to be during the daytime, though. Looking out at it now, it was honestly more than a little creepy. Mipha couldn't see any lights, and the gloom seemed to be encroaching on their little space more and more as the sun set. Didn't help that the sun was on the other side of the house, making it even darker in the little patch of woods. Something that looked like a pair of eyes flashed in the dark, and she shuddered. No, she definitely didn't like the look of that place at night. She finished up her dinner, and after throwing the package away drew the musty curtains shut.

Back in her room, Mipha let herself just crumple to the floor beside the last box. _What_ a day it'd been. As tempting as it was to just crawl into bed right now, she was curious about this box and its contents. It'd moved around with her a few times, and it had been long enough since she filled it up that she wasn't entirely sure of what was in there. Seemed like an okay way to unwind before going to sleep, since she didn't have the energy for one of her books right now. Mipha yawned and slit the tape that kept it closed.

A folded up poster from a concert she'd been to several years ago sat on top; she smiled fondly at the memory. A ticket stub from the same concert fell out as she moved it aside, coming to a high school yearbook from her third year. Oh, that awful year. Her smile faded and she set the yearbook where she couldn't see it. Maybe some other day she'd feel like flipping through its pages, but not tonight. A purse with a broken handle sat underneath it, and her frown deepened. Why keep that? She didn't even remember packing it. Inspecting it didn't bring any answers forward, as all its little pockets were empty, save for a single receipt for a fast food meal. Mipha shrugged and tossed it aside. Just another case of tossing something into a box without thinking; it wasn't the first time she'd found something like that while unpacking over the years.

She'd just come to a plastic bag with old photos in it when her phone rang. Setting it down, she picked up her phone to see who was calling. Her father. Stomach churning, she answered it. “Hello?”

“Ah, Mipha.” Her father always sounded so _tired_ these days, and it broke her heart. “You and Impa are finished moving into your new quarters without any problems, I hope?”

“Yes, Father, we are. And no, no problems.” Mipha ran her fingers over one of her silver bangles. “How are you today? I hope you and Sidon are both well.”

“Yes, yes, we are, no need to worry about us.” Dorephan laughed, but it sounded slightly strained, and her heart ached. “Though we do miss you terribly. It has been too long since you were able to visit.”

“I know.” Mipha closed her eyes. “I am sorry, truly... it has just been so hectic, with school starting up again, and my job, and moving... I promise to come home and see you when I can. As soon as I can manage.”

“Do not feel guilty, my dear,” her father said gently. “I am aware of your busy schedule, and I understand. I only hope it is not too much pressure for you.”

Tears pricked at her eyes. “I'm managing, do not worry. I want you both to take care of yourselves and not fret overmuch about me. I am fine, really.”

“I am glad to hear it.” There was a pause, and Mipha could hear another voice in the background that sounded like her younger brother. “Sidon would like to speak with you, if you don't mind?”

“Of course not.” Mipha wiped at her eyes. “Put him on, I would love to hear his voice.”

“Hi, Mipha!” Sidon sounded as excited to talk to her as ever, which made her heart ache in an entirely different way. “How are you? You moved again today, right?”

“Yes.” She tried to smile; even though he wouldn't see it, maybe it would make its way into her voice and she could pretend to be cheerier for him. “We had a lot of stuff to take with us, but we got it all done and now we just have to finish unpacking.”

“Ooh, cool! Are you helping each other now? Me and Dad didn't interrupt, did we?”

“Oh no, of course not.” Mipha laughed. “Impa went out for pizza, and I'm just sorting through a few things before I go to bed. It is wonderful to hear from you two.”

“Okay, good!” She could almost see Sidon's expression of relief, and his big toothy grin, in her mind. Oh, how she missed him. And her father, too, of course. “What's the house like?”

“Small. But everything fits in, don't worry. And at the back, there's a big forest where nobody lives.”

“Oooh! That's cool! Can we go explore it when I come over? Please? Please?”

“Of course.” Mipha smiled again, a more genuine one this time. “I will take you on a grand tour, and that shall be one of the main attractions.”

“Cool! Do you think there are any weird creatures in it?”

“I don't know. We'll have to see and find out. Maybe—” Mipha broke off as a howl came from the distance. “Oh, did you hear that? A wolf just howled! Perhaps it was exploring the forest.”

“Oh no! Do you need me to come over and protect you from it?”

“I don't think so, but thank you.” Mipha's throat tightened, even as her smile widened. “I am so glad to have such a brave little brother.”

“And you're the best big sister!” There was another pause for some muffled conversation, and then Sidon spoke again. “Okay, Dad says I have to go to bed soon, and that you should too, so I have to say bye now. He said to tell you he loves you, and I love you too, Mipha!”

“I love you both as well.” A lump rose in her throat. “Goodnight, Sidon, and thank you two for calling. It truly was wonderful to hear from you.”

“Night, Mipha!”

Mipha's shoulders slumped as she hung up the phone and set it aside. It'd been weeks since she'd been able to see them, and she missed them so much it hurt. Her father was still running what was left of his business, putting in long hours and trying desperately to hold everything together, so that cut into their time together on top of her grueling schedule. Sidon was only seven, and didn't quite understand everything, only that he missed having his sister around. She couldn't blame him. But she also couldn't do much about it. Their financial situation being what it was, it was better for her to live here with Impa and work to pay her half of the rent, while she continued to toil away towards a nursing degree that would secure a more comfortable future for her. It would all be worth it eventually, she told herself every day. And she did believe it. But oh, was it hell on her personal life. The only friendships she could maintain anymore were with Impa and Impa's girlfriend Zelda, and that was only because she and Impa were roommates and Zelda visited a lot. And dating? Forget it. That was little more than an idle fantasy these days. Less, maybe. After all, she barely had the time to even _think_ about it, much less try to do it.

 _Oh, I'm moping again... I mustn't do that, it solves nothing. And it certainly isn't helping me go through this infernal box._ Mipha wiped her eyes again and picked up the bag of photos. The first few were shots of her childhood home, both interior and exterior, which did nothing to help her keep herself from crying. Beneath those were pictures of her father, Sidon, the two of them together, and some of her with one or both of them, taken in various places. She recognized that first rental home in one, and an aquarium in another, from happier days when they'd been able to visit such places freely. Then, at the very bottom, one that made her heart clench and her breath catch painfully in her chest.

It was a photo of herself at the beach, that last lovely summer before things went so wrong. Smiling so widely her sharp teeth were showing, which she usually didn't let herself do out of self-consciousness. But in that moment, sixteen and happy and innocent of what was to come, she'd forgotten to conceal them. It wasn't hard to remember why she'd been in such a good mood, not when she looked at the face of the person beside her in the photo, who wore a glowing smile of his own.

_Link..._

Her childhood best friend. Her crush, even, during that last golden year or so before things fell apart. Before he moved away and eventually stopped contacting her, before her father's fortunes crumbled and her life became colder, sadder, in the absence of her dear friend and all that she'd grown up knowing. Before she'd been cast into the unfamiliar waters she was still struggling to navigate, swimming endlessly towards what she hoped was a safer, brighter shore.

The wolf howled again in the distance, but Mipha barely heard it as she moved her hand so that she could see the picture better through her blurred vision, and also to keep tears from getting on it. Link. Sweet, kind, Link, whom she'd spent so many joyful years with until his father took a job in a faraway town and moved them there, mere weeks before her own father had been faced with near-ruin. He'd written and called at first, but then the contact had dwindled into nothingness and she'd been unable to reach him. Her father had tried to prepare her for something like that, but it'd still hurt. To this day she still thought about him from time to time, wondering where he was and what had become of him. Would they ever meet again? It seemed unlikely, but it was hard not to nurture a secret hope in her heart.

He'd been so handsome, too, with those gorgeous eyes and warm smile. For most of their friendship she hadn't thought of him that way, but as they'd grown, it'd become impossible not to notice him like that. He'd never known, of course, as far as she could tell, but she'd nursed a pretty big crush on him all the same. Would things have ever developed in that direction if he'd stayed? She'd never know, but she couldn't help but wonder, despite how unproductive that was. Right now he was probably dating some Hylian girl in a far-off city, never once thinking about the Zora he'd left behind all those years ago. Mipha sighed.

 _… Oh, but this is ridiculous, honestly. Why am I mooning over someone I haven't even spoken to in three years? Loneliness must be really taking a toll on me lately. How pathetic._ She shoved the photo back in the bag with the others, and tossed it into the box. _Time for bed. I have to focus on things that actually_ matter _right now_.

Mipha did her best to banish her gloomy thoughts as she got herself ready for bed, taking calming breaths and trying to clear her mind of anything that would stress her out. Off in the distance, there was more howling, and it made for a disquieting soundtrack as she turned off the light and attempted to fall asleep. All her worries and concerns wanted to press in on her, but she resolutely pushed them aside as best she could.

_Maybe things will look better in the morning._

_I hope so, anyway._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your support and amazing comments! It makes me so happy to hear that you're liking this story so much, as it's a very important one to me. I hope you'll continue to enjoy it!

Mipha dropped her keys on the table and pushed the door shut with her foot before taking off at a run for her room. Class had run late, and now she had only a little time before she was late too, to her shift at the Milk Bar. She let her bag fall to the floor beside her bed, not even letting herself sigh in relief at the sudden absence of the weight on her back before fumbling for her work apron. Tying it on with shaking fingers, she then turned and ran back to the front door. It took her a couple tries to put the correct key in the knob so that she could lock the house back up, but she managed.

She flung herself into her car, tossing her purse onto the passenger seat, and turned the key in the ignition.

Nothing.

“Wh-what?” Her breath growing short, Mipha yanked the key out to make sure it was the right one. It was. Her hand shaking, she shoved it in again and turned it. Still nothing. “No, no... no, no, no...” She tried it again. And again. “No, come on, please... not now, not _now_...” Tears built in her eyes as she kept trying, her heart thudding in her chest and her stomach roiling with nausea. But no matter what she did, it simply refused to start. “Oh Goddess, no... no, why, why _now_...” Mipha's head dropped to the steering wheel, and she let out a sob. “ _Why_...”

_I can't call Impa, she's in class right now... and so is Zelda... Father is at work... and Hylia only knows how much it will cost to fix whatever is wrong, or worse, buy a new car if it's beyond repair... oh why, why? I do not need this..._

Mipha let herself cry for only a few seconds more, and then grabbed her purse and got out of the car. As much as she wanted to just let herself wallow, that wasn't going to accomplish anything. She still had a shift to get to, and she _needed_ the money she'd earn if she had any hope of getting this fixed. The Milk Bar was in walking distance, thankfully. But she'd still be late, and the sooner she got moving the less time she'd lose.

She walked as quickly as she could, trying to take every shortcut she was aware of, and chafing at every little thing that slowed her down. How was it that a drive that took less than ten minutes could be such a _very_ long distance on foot? Mipha didn't dare look at her watch, for fear of the time she'd see there. Panicking wasn't going to do her any good either, after all. No matter how close it was to overwhelming her.

At last, though, she arrived at the Milk Bar. Relief warred with anxiety as she pushed open the door and hurried towards the back room to put her purse away and find out which tables she'd be waiting on today. 

She'd only just finished putting her purse in her locker when someone called her name. Mipha turned. It was Malon, one of her coworkers, an equally nervous look on her face. “Yes? What is it?”

“Well, you're late. And...” Malon twisted her apron in her hands. “Ingo said to send you to his office as soon as you got here...”

“Oh?” Mipha's heart sank. “Because I'm late?” _Wonderful, now I will get to be chewed out by the owner, on top of everything else..._

“I don't know.” Her eyes darted from side to side. “He just said he wanted to see you right away. I don't know any more than that, sorry...”

“It's quite alright.” Mipha sighed. “It isn't your fault. Thank you for telling me.”

“Um, sure.” Malon met her eyes again. “Do you want me to go with you? Just as far as his office, I mean.”

“Oh, no thank you, I will be fine.” She tried to smile. “You must have customers to get back to, I can go on my own. Thank you anyway, though.”

“Any time.” Malon gave her a weak smile, and then turned and headed back towards the front. 

Mipha watched her go, and sighed again. Just standing here wasn't going to make things better, and if she tried to put off seeing her boss, her anxieties about it would shoot through the roof. They already were, in fact. She pressed a hand to her racing heart as she walked towards Ingo's office, willing it to slow down as she tried to calm her breathing. The walk there was too short for her to be able to relax even slightly, though, and she felt on the verge of throwing up as she knocked on the door. “Hello?”

“Yeah, come on in,” answered Ingo in his all too familiar rough drawl. Mipha took a breath and turned the knob. He was sitting behind his desk, all but absorbed in something on his computer screen. “You finally made it, good.”

“Yes.” She winced. “I am terribly sorry about being late, it couldn't be helped. My—”

“I don't care about that.” Ingo waved a hand dismissively. “Not why I called you in here.”

“Oh?” Mipha's expression turned quizzical. “Why did you want to see me, then?”

“Well...” He finally looked up. They watched each other for a few seconds, Mipha barely daring to breathe, and Ingo chewing idly on something. Then he shrugged. “Eh, why sugarcoat it. Gotta let you go. Sorry,” he added, not sounding apologetic at all.

Mipha's heart seemed to stumble before pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest. “Wh-what? I...” She shook her head, her eyes wide. “No, I...” She couldn't breathe. “Please... please give me another chance, I...”

“Look, it ain't about the way you do the job, alright?” Ingo took a swig of whatever was in his flask. “You get things right and the customers seem to like you. Not had a complaint since you started.”

“Then why?” Tears were beginning to fill her eyes. “Why do this?”

“It's nothing personal, okay?” He turned his attention back to the computer. “I just need to cut someone to save a little money, and you know what they say... last hired, first fired.” He guffawed as if he'd made a particularly funny joke.

“You...” Mipha swallowed, trying to blink away the tears. “You won't reconsider?”

“Sorry, but no.” He shook his head without even bothering to look at her. “It is what it is, kid.”

“I see.” _And I am going to be sick_. “Do you... should I finish out my shift?”

“What?” Ingo blinked, and finally looked back at her. “You kidding? I'd have to pay you for that, and you no longer work for me! Malon can pick up the slack, just drop off that apron in the laundry bag. If you were anyone else I'd have you just hang it up somewhere, but, well...” He grimaced. “I don't think the others wanna wear something that's been on slimy scales.”

Mipha's spine stiffened, her damp eyes now alight with a cold fury. “They're _not_.”

“Huh?” Ingo scratched his head. “Who's—”

“My scales. They are not _slimy. I_ am not slimy.” Breathing hard, Mipha undid her apron with shaking fingers and threw it onto his desk; he recoiled as if she'd hurled a live spider at him. “Reserve that word for your own behavior. If nothing else, I am glad I shall never have to hear your disgusting and utterly _wrong_ remarks about me again.” She'd endured them in silence before, but not anymore. Not now that she no longer had to.

She slammed the door behind herself as she all but stomped off, her face hot and her heart still racing. It wasn't the first time that horrible man had said disparaging things about her Zora body, but it was the last time he'd ever do so where she could hear it. It was the only comfort about this entire awful situation, and even that wouldn't last long.

No one tried to talk to her as she exited the building, purse clutched like a shield in front of her. Malon wasn't out front, which Mipha was thankful for; let that monstrous Ingo break the news to her that she was going to have a heavier workload from here on out. She simply didn't have it in her to do his dirty work for her and see the other woman's face fall. Worse, the sympathy she'd offer would only make it all hurt more, and she didn't have the strength to deal with that right now.

Maybe it was because of the hideous situation she found herself in, but the air outside seemed even colder than before. Mipha hugged herself as she walked, trying desperately to conserve what little warmth she had. Tears were flowing freely down her face, but she found she didn't care what anyone driving by thought. Who were they, anyway? Just strangers she'd never see again, most likely. None of them knew what she was going through and none of them cared. So just this once, she refused to care about what they thought when they saw her.

She went at an unhurried pace; there was no rush now, after all, nothing urgent waiting for her at home. Nothing but an empty house and a broken down car. Her shoulders slumped as she remembered. Her last Milk Bar paycheck, whenever that arrived, would probably all go to fixing the thing, and then some if she wasn't lucky. Which she never seemed to be lately. And until it could be seen to, she'd have to rely on Impa and Zelda for rides to school. She knew _they_ wouldn't mind, but she hated imposing on them, hated having to ask them for things that she felt would bother and inconvenience them. No matter how much they told her it wasn't any trouble, she still agonized over it. 

A chill wind blew, scattering some litter on the sidewalk and seeming to pass right through her down to her bones. Mipha shivered and withdrew in on herself, forcing her feet to pick up the pace. There might not be something urgent waiting for her at home, but home itself, where she could be out of the cold, suddenly seemed urgent all on its own. She wasn't too far now, so if she hurried she could be there before she knew it.

Turning onto her street proved to be a relief that gave her enough energy to quicken her pace a little more for the final stretch. The urge to throw something at her traitorous car reared up inside her as she walked across the driveway, but Mipha shoved it down and pulled her keys out of her purse. And then froze.

_Who is...?_

Heart hammering, Mipha turned slowly. The uncomfortable sensation of being watched was all around her, and she scanned the empty street frantically for any signs of whose eyes might be on her. She saw no one, though, no one except for the children laughing and shouting in the yard some ways down the other side of the road. There weren't many cars parked here at this time of day, and none of them had anyone inside. All the windows she could see had curtains or blinds drawn, except for the boarded up ones of the condemned house across the street. There was, truly, no one around that she could spot. And yet the feeling persisted.

_So why on earth am I standing around out here? This is foolish._ Mipha turned back to the front door and unlocked it, hurrying inside and locking it up from the inside. The little table by the door where they left their keys was empty, so Impa hadn't forgotten hers today, thankfully. She dropped hers onto it and headed down the hall to the bathroom. 

As she waited for the water to warm up sufficiently, Mipha caught sight of herself in the mirror. She couldn't explain it to herself, but something about seeing her own reflection triggered another torrent of tears, her face crumpling as she turned away from the glass and stepped into the shower. Hot tears mingled with hot water as she stood there, and she let herself scream as she cried. Impa wouldn't be home for a few more hours, so there was no one around to worry by letting it all out. 

She staggered into her room after she'd dried herself off, her body beginning to succumb to a particular kind of exhaustion that came from days like this one. Her gaze fell on the still unpacked box of miscellaneous items as she shut her door. Mipha stared at it for a second, and then with shaking hands bent down over it and retrieved the bag of photos she'd been looking through the other night. Fresh tears built as she pulled out the beach photo, her blurring eyes focused on Link.

“Why aren't you here with me?” she whispered, beginning to cry again. “You were always so good at comforting me when I needed you... and now you're gone, and I...”

Mipha didn't finish her sentence, hugging the photo to her chest as she sobbed. Weariness overwhelmed her, and she let herself fall onto the bed, pressing her wet face into the pillow. Her tears gradually dried up, though, and her breathing calmed and slowed as sleep pulled her into its merciful embrace.

* * *

Mipha opened her eyes to a room shrouded almost entirely in shadow. Disorientation set in first. She sat up. Something fell from her hands onto her lap, and she looked down at it. _Oh._ Her heart squeezed at the sight of the photo, now slightly wrinkled. She smoothed it out, letting her fingertips linger on Link's face, and set it aside on her nightstand table, beside her lamp and a glass of water. There wasn't much in the glass, but she gulped it down anyway, ignoring the stale taste. All the crying had left her with a slight headache; at least she knew they had some medicine in the kitchen cabinets. She was just about to stand up and head that way when she heard the sound of the front door opening, followed by two sets of footsteps. No, three. Sort of.

“Hey! Don't cut in front of me!” Impa sounded indignant. “I swear you programmed this thing _specifically_ to annoy me!”

“Oh, come on, Impa, don't be ridiculous.” Zelda giggled. “I know you two can get along if you just try!”

“That requires two people to put in effort, you know, and one of us isn't budging.” A series of beeps came from the other 'person' in question: Terrako, Zelda's latest project for her robotics class. 

“I'm well aware of how stubborn you are, Impa,” Zelda said with another laugh. “I do hope you'll come around, though, and I'm sure Terrako does too.”

“That is _not_ what I—” 

Their voices disappeared down the hallway, the ongoing bickering becoming inaudible save for Zelda's laughter and a screech of rage from Impa, likely at some new shenanigan of Terrako's. Mipha smiled weakly to herself. Normally these little spats would've been able to make her laugh too, but the best she could muster in her current state was faint amusement that faded quickly as she realized they were probably going to the kitchen to make dinner. Her own stomach was terribly empty, and she needed something for her headache, but she couldn't bring herself to go out there and face them. Not now. She needed more time. Time to calm herself down and construct a mask so that she wouldn't worry them and wouldn't have to relive her awful day by telling them about it. It couldn't be avoided forever, of course, but... even a little delay would be a kindness.

Sure enough, she soon heard the sounds of pots and pans clanging in the distance. Mipha's stomach growled, and she pressed a hand to it. Frustration rose. Why, _why_ couldn't she just get it together and go out there? They were her friends, she shouldn't be avoiding them. So why? Ugh. And her head _still_ hurt. Maybe there was something in the bathroom she could take. She got up and walked towards the door, easing it open as quietly as she could and praying she wouldn't be heard.

Mipha had only made it halfway down the hall when Zelda screamed. She froze. Half a second later, Impa let out a startled yell. Something clattered to the floor. “What the _fuck_ is that?” she heard her shout. 

Mipha didn't wait to hear what Zelda answered, turning and running straight for the kitchen. She burst in on the two women staring in horror at the back window. Terrako was circling Zelda's feet, beeping frantically; Mipha followed their gazes to the backyard, and almost stumbled in her shock. Illuminated by the glow of the porch light was an enormous wolf with deep gray fur, far bigger than it had any right to be. Far bigger than any normal wolf _should_ be, at least the size of a horse, if not larger. Strange white markings stood out on its forehead, and as Mipha stared at it, its eyes seemed to meet hers through the window. Her breath caught. “What... what _is_ that...?”

“It's a fucking _wolf_.” Impa breathed heavily, the knife she'd been chopping carrots with lying forgotten on the floor. “It's a giant _fucking_ wolf, in our _fucking_ backyard, and I cannot _fucking_ handle this.”

“Why would such a thing be _here?_ ” Zelda took a tentative step forward. Terrako beeped and moved in front of her, as if to block her from getting any closer to the window. “I didn't even know they could _get_ that big...”

“I...” Mipha swallowed. “It doesn't seem to mean us any harm, at least...”

“What, just cause it hasn't done anything _yet?_ Don't be fooled.” Impa shook her head. “It's just waiting for the right time to pounce. To burst through the window and have a meat and seafood fry.”

Mipha's eyes widened and her hands clenched into fists. “Don't you _dare_ call me—”

“Huh?” Impa turned to look at Mipha, her mouth falling open in confusion at the anger on her face. “I—sorry, it was just a bad joke to lighten the mood, you know I don't—”

“Forget it.” Mipha shook her head. “Just...” She gestured at the backyard, where the wolf was still staring at them. Staring at _her_ , unless she was imagining things. “What are we going to do about this?”

“I'll tell you _exactly_ what I'm going to do.” Impa stalked over to the table, where she'd dumped her bag onto a chair. She rummaged around and pulled out a kodachi—evidently she'd gone to practice today. “I'm gonna scare the damn thing off, at the _very_ fucking least.”

“Oh, I can't watch...” Mipha turned away from the window as Impa strode over to the back door and yanked it open. Zelda came over and put her arm around her, giving her a gentle hug. Mipha closed her eyes and leaned her head against Zelda's shoulder. Impa was shouting something, but Terrako, sensing their discomfort, began to play a song that Zelda had programmed into him, in order to drown out whatever was happening outside.

Thus it took a minute for it to register that the shouting had stopped. Mipha lifted her head and opened her eyes just as the back door creaked open and Impa reappeared. She looked vaguely dazed, and all the blood had drained from her face. “Um...”

“Impa?” Zelda frowned as her girlfriend closed the door. “What's wrong? You look like you've seen a Poe.”

“I think I might prefer that...” Impa rubbed her forehead. “This is... okay. I'd ask you to promise that you won't accuse me of being crazy, but to be honest even _I'm_ not sure that I'm not.”

Mipha glanced over her shoulder at the window. The wolf was still out there, but now it had settled down on the ground, its head resting on its massive paws. “Just tell us. I will not laugh or doubt your sanity.”

“Appreciate it.” Impa took a deep breath. “Okay, so... as nuts as this sounds, that's not just a regular wolf. Yes, I know we knew that already, going by the size,” she said quickly as Zelda opened her mouth to say something. “But I mean, more than that. It...” She swallowed. “It _talked_ to me.”

“ _What?_ ” The shock on Zelda's face mirrored what Mipha felt. “But—but that shouldn't be _possible_ , wolves don't have—”

“This one has whatever you're about to say,” Impa interrupted, waving a hand in the air. “I don't know what makes this possible, and I didn't ask, but... it definitely talked to me. And...” Her eyes met Mipha's. “It wants to talk some more. To _you_.”

“Me?” Eyes wide, Mipha looked at the wolf again, and then back to Impa. “Why? Why me?”

“It—okay, he, it sounded like it's a guy—didn't say.” Impa shook her head. “Well, he said it was a private matter between you two.” She folded her arms across her chest and leaned closer. “You don't... happen to _know_ this thing, do you?”

“No. No, I don't.” Mipha shook her head. “I've never seen it—him—in my life. I have no idea why I'm being requested. I swear.”

“I believe you, don't worry.” She scratched her head. “I'm just confused, is all.”

“So am I.” Mipha turned to look at the wolf again. It stared back at her. She gulped. “I... suppose I ought to find out what is going on, then...”

“Are you sure?” Zelda's hand tightened on Mipha's shoulder. “It might not be safe, I don't want to see you get hurt.”

“I will be fine. Don't worry about me.” Mipha extricated herself and walked to the back door. “Anyway, you will be able to see and respond swiftly even if something does go wrong.”

“True, but...” 

Whatever she was going to say was cut off as Mipha shut the door. She took a deep breath to try and calm herself, and then turned with a racing heart to face the beast that had come to their house. The wolf lifted its head only a little as she approached, regarding her quietly with eyes that she could now see were the bright blue of a clear summer sky. She stopped short a few feet from its huge snout, hands clasped in front of her. For a long moment they just stared at each other. Then she delicately cleared her throat. “Um... hello?”

“Hello, Mipha.” The wolf's voice was low and rough, exactly what she would've expected him to sound like, but there was also a gentleness to it that caught her by surprise. “I'm sorry for scaring you and your friends.”

“It is—wait.” Mipha frowned. “How do you know my name?”

“Your friend said it a minute ago. And also I...” He paused. “I looked... into you a little.”

“What?” Her pulse quickened again. “Why would you have cause to look into me?”

“I know how that sounds, and I'm sorry.” His gaze darted away. “But I needed to find—I need someone to help me with something, and so I had to find the right person.”

“And you... settled on me, of all people?” Mipha tilted her head slightly. “Why?”

“Because I need—I need someone who's kind. Kinder than most. And dedicated to helping others. That describes you, doesn't it?” He looked straight at her again with those piercing blue eyes. “Am I wrong?”

“I...” Mipha felt heat rise to her face. “I wouldn't... I wouldn't say you're _wrong_ , necessarily, but I... oh, I would never put myself above anyone like that. I simply try my best to do well by others, that's all anyone can do. I'm not special...”

He was silent for a moment. “Based on what I've heard, I'd disagree.”

“Oh, oh no, no, I...” Mipha waved her hands frantically. “I assure you, I'm not at all, I...” She stopped. “But this is beside the point... I think my next question must be, how is it that you think I can help you?”

“I...” He looked down again, something changing in his eyes. “There's not a whole lot I can tell you, and I'm sorry about that.”

“Why?” Mipha's frown deepened. “Why can you not tell me? I think it will be hard for me to help you if I don't know what the problem is...”

“Believe me, I wish I could. But...” He sighed. “Part of the problem, as you put it, is that I'm bound from speaking too much about it. I physically _can't_ say certain things. I'm sorry.”

“Did you have a choice in the matter?” He shook his head. “Then do not apologize, for it isn't your fault. Just tell me what you can, and I'll see what I can do for you.”

“You're much too kind...” Mipha would never have thought a wolf, particularly one of his size, could whisper, and yet the words came out in one nevertheless. “Thank you. I...” He shifted slightly. “I can't tell you exactly what you'd be helping me with, but I can tell you what you'd have to do. It's pretty simple: just come and live with me for a year and a day.”

“Live... with you?” Mipha's mind immediately conjured up the image of herself in a huge cave, beside this giant wolf. As if sensing what she was thinking, he laughed slightly.

“It's not what you're probably picturing, trust me—it's in a manor house, and you'd have every comfort you could ask for. I'd also give you more money than you'd know what to do with, as compensation for uprooting your life like this.”

“You would...” Mipha stopped breathing for a moment. Her head spun. More money than she'd...? Oh no, that wasn't quite true. She _did_ know what to do with it, at least partially. _Father... I could help Father and Sidon... give Impa some stability as well... and then use the rest to settle myself somewhere... oh, I..._ “That... that is... very kind of you, of course,” she managed. “But... but what would _you_ get out of such generosity? I cannot imagine how my residing with you and taking such wealth would help _you_...”

“I can't tell you. Remember?” A pained look came into his eyes. “All I can do is ask you to consider it.”

“Right, yes...” Mipha took a deep breath. “Is... is there anything else I would have to do? Anything I would be required to do, once there at your home?”

“No.” He shook his head. “Just live there, and make it your home as well. Or at least try.”

“For a year and a day, you said?” _What an odd amount..._

“Yeah.” He seemed to sigh. “I'm sorry, I know it sounds weird. I really wish I could tell you more, but...” Another sigh, deeper this time. “Look, just... take a week to think about it, okay? I know it's a huge thing to ask, and you should have time to consider. So I'll come back in a week for your decision. If that's alright?”

“Yes, I... that's fine.” Mipha nodded. “Thank you. You're right. It _is_ quite an offer. I promise I will have an answer for you when the week is out.”

“Thanks.” He rose up onto his feet. Slowly, as if he didn't want to frighten her. “I'll see you next week, then... sorry again for scaring you all.”

“Don't worry about it.” Mipha offered him a small smile, and he seemed to go very still for a moment. “I know now that you meant us no harm. I'm not scared anymore.”

“... Thank you.” He turned around and walked a short distance towards the trees, and then paused. “Goodnight, Mipha. Take care.”

“I will.” A lump rose in her throat, for reasons she couldn't quite explain. “You too.”

She watched him disappear into the woods. Only when she couldn't see him anymore did she take another deep breath and go back in the house. Impa and Zelda were watching at the window, Terrako clutched in Zelda's arms. They both turned to face her as she reentered the house. “Well?” Impa asked. “What'd he want?”

“Um...” _Oh goodness, how do I begin to explain this?_ “He—he wanted... that is, he wants me to help him with something.”

“Help him?” Zelda set Terrako down on the floor, frowning. “Whatever could a creature like that need your help with?”

“I don't know.” Mipha shook her head. “He said he was bound from speaking too much about it, that he cannot physically tell me certain things. I know it sounds mad, or—or deceitful when I say it, but I did not sense he was lying...”

“Eh.” Impa shrugged. “I can kinda believe that, actually. I mean, we're already dealing with a giant talking wolf here. What's a little _more_ weirdness today?”

“That... is a good point, actually.” Mipha managed a laugh. “In—in any case, he wishes for me to help him by... living with him in a mansion for a year and a day, and he will also, as he put it, give me more money than I know what to do with.”

“And there it is. The insanity.” Impa gaped at her. “What the _fuck?_ How does that help _him?_ ”

“I don't know. I told you, he couldn't tell me.” Mipha shook her head again. “But he didn't pressure me, and he said to take a week to think about it. He'll be back to hear my answer then.”

“You didn't already say no? Are you losing it too?” Impa shook her head too. “Mipha, this is nuts. Completely insane. There's nothing to think about, because it's crazy.”

“She's right.” Zelda stepped forward. “No amount of money is worth—”

“What would _you_ know about it?” Zelda's eyes widened, hurt flashing in them, but Mipha pressed on. “You don't have to struggle like I have been, you have never known what it's like to...” She drew a deep breath as she started to tremble. “I lost my _job_ today. My car won't start. My father is still overworking himself trying to keep everything together, probably into an early grave, and Sidon doesn't have a college fund anymore, let alone the chance to do all the fun things he wants and _deserves_ to do. If I took that money, I...” She dashed at her eyes with a shaking hand, hating that she was near tears again. “I could make such a _difference_ for them. For you too.” Mipha gestured at Impa. “ _Don't_ tell me it's insane to want to help the people I care about. Don't you _dare_. Either of you.”

“I'm sorry.” Zelda bit her lip and looked away. “I didn't know... I'm sorry, I just...”

“We just want you to be safe,” Impa said quietly. “That's all. You have to admit it sounds pretty sketchy. I understand why you're tempted, don't get me wrong, but...”

“Then you should understand why I'm going to consider it.” Mipha looked down at the floor. “I know you two care about me and want me to be safe, and I do appreciate it, but this is _my_ decision to make. And it is so much bigger than just myself.” She took another deep breath and let it out. “I need to be alone right now. I'll see you two tomorrow.”

“Mipha...” At Zelda's feet, Terrako beeped, as if to echo her words. Mipha ignored them, though, as she headed to the fridge to get a package of smoked salmon and a water bottle, plus the medicine for her still-aching head. She no longer really felt like eating, but she knew she'd feel worse later if she didn't at least try.

She closed her bedroom door behind herself when she got there, sinking onto the floor with her back against the wood. The carpet in here wasn't the softest, but she didn't care right now. Mipha tore open the bag, and took her time eating the fish within, so as not to upset her stomach too much. In her mind's eye, she could see the wolf's face as they talked, those gentle blue eyes. What she'd told him was true: she really wasn't afraid of him anymore. Just a few minutes spent in his company had set her at ease somehow.

_I suppose I can't really blame them for thinking it sounds suspicious. I admit, it did sound odd when I tried to explain it. But... they weren't out there with me. They didn't hear what he said, see how he looked at me. I don't know why, but... I do feel that I can trust him. I do. I don't believe that he means me any harm. I cannot explain why, I just... know it somehow, in my heart. Which would sound absurd to them too, if I said it. But that is how it is._

_I have a week to decide what to do about his offer. But I think I already know my answer, if I am honest with myself._


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you all so much for your lovely comments! I'm so, so grateful for everyone's support. <3

Mipha pushed the last of the shawls she'd chosen into her backpack, making just enough room for a small bag full of some favorite pieces of jewelry. She'd put in two favorite books as well, a choice that had taken longer to make than the decision to leave tonight. Her laptop was tucked carefully between the soft fabrics too, completing what she thought she'd need. Well, almost. There was one more small thing she was considering. Her hand hovered over it now; a moment's pause, and she picked it up. It still bore the wrinkles from how she'd clutched it tight last week, but the happiness on the two smiling faces captured there remained unblemished. A whisper across time, from a simpler era. Mipha traced her fingertip over it, wishing she could feel even a ghost of the joy she'd felt that day, even just once more. It seemed so far away. But maybe this miraculous opportunity she'd been afforded could bring her closer. 

She'd just finished slipping the photo between the top two shawls when a knock sounded on her open door. “Hey. I...” Impa's gaze fell on the backpack. “Guess it's too late to talk you out of this, huh?”

“Yes.” Mipha looked back down at her bag as she zipped it up. In truth, it'd been too late the moment she'd heard of the money she'd be getting for this and thought of how she could help her loved ones with it. “It is. But please, don't worry.” She gave her a small smile. “I will contact you when I can, and as soon as I have that money, I will send you plenty of it. I promise.”

“Oh, _Mipha_...” Impa sighed, and Mipha was shocked to see tears in her eyes. “Why are you like this? You're always worrying so much about everyone else... I wish you'd think about taking care of yourself for a change. Or at least find someone who wants to take care of you.”

“As if I've ever had time for that.” Mipha let out a hollow laugh. 

“Yeah, well...” Impa tried to wipe her eyes discreetly. “Maybe once you have that money, you can go find someone like that, since it'll buy you some free time.”

_Or I could go find Link... no, there'd be no use in it, he will have forgotten me by now, I cannot intrude on his life like that._ She shook her head as if to clear the thought away. “Maybe. I still have a year before I can even begin to really start on anything, much less that.”

“Which feels like such a long-ass time from now. I know.” Impa blew a stray hair out of her eyes. “I just hope it'll fly by for you. Did your dad believe the story about the study abroad program?”

“Yes, I think so. I hope so.” Mipha's throat grew tight. “He made me promise to come back safely. And Sidon... he was distraught, but trying not to show it. He wanted to be brave for me, I think.” Her voice shook. “I promised I would buy him souvenirs and tell him about all my adventures.”

“Well, you'll have to make good on that, then. Don't want to disappoint him.” She paused. “How are you going to explain the money you're gonna send them, though? Wouldn't it be easier to just tell them the truth?”

“I thought about that. I did.” Mipha stared down at the bed. “But I... Father's health seems so fragile these days, and I don't wish to cause him more stress by telling him what I'm really doing. I hate to lie to them, I truly do, but I feel as if I could do more harm by being honest. I will simply tell him that I won the lottery, and he can hear the truth when I am returned home safely.”

“Okay, yeah, fair enough.” Impa nodded. “I'll cover for you if I have to.”

“So will I.” Zelda appeared behind Impa, carrying Terrako in her arms. It beeped. “Whatever we can do to help you, just ask us. It's never too much trouble.”

“Yeah.” Impa smiled weakly. “What she said.”

“I...” Her eyes stung. “Thank you so much... both of you... this means the world to me, I cannot... I cannot thank you enough.” She brushed the tears away. “I should... I should go wait, I suppose. He could be here at any time, and I don't wish him to think I've decided not to go.”

“I—”

“No comment, Impa,” Zelda interrupted, gently but with a hint of rebuke. “Mipha has made her choice, and we must support her.”

“Thank you, Zelda.” Mipha swallowed. “I appreciate that. And... I am sorry again, for snapping at you last week.”

“Don't think anything of it.” Zelda shook her head, her short hair flying around her face. “You were right. It wasn't my place to say such a thing to you. I'm still going to worry about you, but I won't stand in your way. I hope that this... trip brings you happiness.”

“Thank you so much,” Mipha whispered, her eyes brimming with tears again. “I hope so too.” She shouldered the bag. “I must go now. I don't wish to be late.”

They followed her down the hall, all the way to the back door. A glance at the window showed that the backyard was empty. Impa frowned. “You know, you could probably wait in here, where we've got, y'know... a working heater and chairs to sit in.”

“I will be fine.” Mipha smiled. “You can wait in here if you wish, but I am going to go outside.”

As she expected, they stayed inside instead of following her. Mipha set her backpack down on the thin strip of concrete that passed for a porch and then sat beside it, hugging her legs to herself as she stared up at the sky. It was a perfectly clear night, the full moon already high, and if it weren't for the bright blue lights of the city she was sure that many more stars would be visible. 

_“If you were a constellation, what do you think you'd be?” They were lying on a blanket in the backyard of her family's beach house, gazing up at the stars. The lights of the little village still prevented them from seeing as many as they could, but the visibility was much better than it was at home, at least._

_“Hmmm? I don't know.” Link brushed some hair out of his eyes. He really did have such pretty hair, and she couldn't help but want to run her fingers through it. “I feel like... that's something someone else should decide. What would suit me, I mean.”_

_“I guess.” Mipha looked back up at the sky. “What do you think you would like, though? I suppose that's a better question.”_

_“I'm not sure about that either.” Link reached over and took her hand. “I just know I'd want it to be close to yours, so we could still talk to each other.”_

Tears blurred her eyes, and Mipha wiped frantically at them. Of all the times for that memory to drift back to her, why did it have to be _now?_ She didn't want to be a teary wreck when he showed up, and she certainly didn't need Impa or Zelda to decide to check on her and see her like this. She closed her eyes and forced herself to breathe deeply until the urge to cry had safely passed. This was a new start for her, and she needed to at least try to be brave and happy. No more dwelling on the pain of the past.

A branch broke somewhere nearby, and her eyes flew open. She couldn't see anything yet, but after a moment, the familiar figure of the wolf appeared between the trees, moving slowly but steadily towards her. Their eyes met, and her heart sped up. He came to a stop several feet away from her; she smiled and stood up, slinging her bag onto her shoulder again as she walked to meet him. He looked exactly the same as she remembered him, save for the small pouch he wore around his neck. “Hello.”

“Hey, Mipha. So...” He paused, his attention drawn to her backpack. Hope kindled in his eyes. “You're coming with me, then?”

“Yes.” Mipha laid her hand on his face, just above his snout. “Thank you for giving me a week to decide, but I did not really need it. In truth, my heart chose this path as soon as I realized what good I could do for those I love with the generous gift you promised me.”

He stared down at her in silence for a long moment. “You... you really are the kindest person I've ever known.” He paused again. “Thank you, Mipha. This means more to me than I can say.”

“Of course.” Mipha smiled again. “I will do what I can for you. I promise.”

The back door opened at that moment, and Mipha turned to see Impa and Zelda walking out, Terrako following close behind his maker. A lump rose in her throat as she saw their tearful expressions, and she dropped her bag and rushed back to them. They enfolded her in a group hug without a word.

“Take good care of yourself, Mipha,” Impa murmured. “And not just for others, either. For you.”

“Yes, what she said.” Zelda squeezed her tighter. “Whatever happens, we just want you to be not just safe, but happy. You deserve that more than anyone, even if you don't believe it.”

“She's right,” Impa said quickly, before Mipha could even open her mouth to speak. “And we're not gonna argue with you about that again, especially not right now.”

“... Thank you,” Mipha whispered, her voice trembling. They were right, her first impulse was to protest that she wasn't any more deserving than they or anyone else were, but she shoved it down. Now really _wasn't_ the time. “I'll do my best. I hope you'll be good to yourselves, as well.”

“We will.” They both gave her watery smiles as she pulled back. Impa squeezed her shoulder. “Don't worry about us, you know we'll take good care of each other.”

“I'm glad to hear that. And you...” Mipha bent to look at Terrako, who hovered at Zelda's ankles. It beeped inquisitively. “You be good to both of them too, and do your best to get along with Impa while I'm gone. Is that clear?” Terrako beeped wildly at her, and Mipha giggled. “I will take that as a yes.”

“It better be,” Impa grumbled. Zelda laughed.

“I have faith it is.” Mipha stood up. “Well... I suppose this is goodbye, then. For now, at least.”

“Nope.” Impa lightly smacked Mipha's arm with her fist. “It's 'see you soon', dummy.”

“Oh, Impa, really...” Zelda rolled her eyes. “But she is right. We'll see you soon.”

“Yes, good point.” Mipha smiled back at them. “I will see you soon, then.”

They embraced again, and then Mipha retrieved her bag and walked back over to the wolf. He lowered himself onto the ground, as much as he possibly could. “Climb on my back,” he instructed her as she moved close to him.

“Is that safe? For you, I mean?” Mipha hugged her bag to her chest. “I don't wish to hurt you...”

He shook his head. “It's sweet of you to ask, but I promise, it's fine. This is the only way I can get you to where we're going, anyway.”

“Well then, if you're sure...” Mipha hesitated, but then did as he asked and climbed onto his back, trying to be very careful not to pull too hard on his fur. Once she was settled he rose slowly to his feet; Mipha's heart dropped into her stomach and she sucked her breath in. It was true that she was a very small person, and he was much larger than a normal wolf would ever be, but it was still hard not to fret about the effect that her weight, slight as it was, would have on his spine.

“Mipha, please don't worry about me.” He turned his head to look back at her. “I'm fine. Really.”

_Oh, you sound exactly like Link whenever he'd hurt himself doing something foolish..._ “Truly? You're not in any pain? I'd hate to injure you.”

“None at all.” He shook his head. “Don't worry. Please.”

“I shall try not to, then.” _But I make no promises._ Mipha looked up, back at Impa and Zelda. Mustering up her best smile, she waved at them. They waved back, even Terrako in its fashion. It was the last she saw of them as the wolf turned himself around and headed back through the trees. Mipha hunched down as he weaved around them, pressing herself against his back to try and avoid being hit by any branches. Just as she could see the end of the property, though, he stopped. She lifted her head. “Is something wrong?”

“No, I'm just...” He shifted slightly. “I'm going to... I guess you could call it taking a shortcut. But it's pretty disorienting if you're not used to it, so you should probably close your eyes. I'd hate for you to end up feeling sick.”

“Oh.” Mipha took one last glance over her shoulder, and then closed her eyes. “I am ready. Thank you for thinking of my comfort.”

“... Of course.” He stood still for a moment, and then walked forward. Mipha didn't dare open her eyes. All around her she could hear a strange rushing sound, punctuated by a whistling wind that she couldn't feel, only listen to. Something—or someone—seemed to whisper words that she couldn't understand, and the temperature of the air dropped sharply. At last, though, he came to another stop. “It's done. You can open your eyes now, if you want.”

“Thank you.” Mipha opened her eyes. She felt slightly dizzy, but it soon cleared as she took in their surroundings. They'd just emerged from a copse of some kind of trees, their spindly branches bare of leaves and laden with snow. The ground, too, was covered with snow, glittering under the light of the full moon and the countless twinkling stars she could now see. Mipha's breath caught. Despite the almost painful chill of the air around her, she couldn't deny that there was a certain kind of beauty to the stark landscape they stood in. Mountains loomed before her, all around her, and a light seemed to flicker at the top of the closest peak. She wrapped her shawl tighter around herself as she tried to take everything in.

“Mipha?” It took her a moment to realize he was speaking to her. “Reach into my bag, please. There's something you'll need there.”

“Oh? Okay...” Mipha leaned down and fumbled for the bag. It took a couple tries, but at last she managed to pull out a smooth glass bottle, full of a scarlet liquid that glistened slightly in the light. “What is this?”

“An elixir. Drink it, please—you'll be too cold without it.”

“Oh, yes, of course...” Mipha undid the cork and brought it to her lips. It had a strange, spicy flavor to it that seemed to burn her tongue and throat a little as it went down, but the unpleasant sensation soon faded, replaced with a comforting warmth that spread throughout her entire body. “That is much better... thank you again for thinking of me.”

“It's no problem,” he said softly. “I want you to be safe. That's all.”

“That's very kind of you.” She had the sudden, inexplicable urge to hug the bottle to herself, as though it was a precious gift. Instead, though, she put it back in his bag. “Where are we, by the way?”

“The Tabantha frontier.” He started walking again. “It's very far from where you live, so the shortcut was necessary. I hope it didn't bother you too much.”

“Not at all.” Mipha shook her head. “I closed my eyes as you suggested, and it had no adverse effects as a result.”

“I'm glad to hear it.” He shifted into a slight trot, then seemed to think better of it and slowed down again. “We're not too far away now, so... do you have any questions before we get there?”

“No, not that I—wait, yes.” Mipha frowned down at him. “All this time we have been talking, and you know my name, yet I do not know yours. What is it, if I may ask?”

“That's...” He sighed. “Something else I can't tell you. I'm sorry.”

Her frown deepened. “Part of whatever it is that binds you from telling me what I am supposed to be helping you with?”

“Yeah. Sorry.” His voice dropped to a near-whisper. “Believe me, if I could tell you, I would in a heartbeat. But I can't. I'm sorry.”

“No, don't apologize.” Mipha shook her head again. “Please. It is not your fault that you are so bound, and I understand. I cannot hold against you something that clearly pains you so; I only wish I could do something to help.”

“That's very kind of you,” he said in the same quiet tone. “Thank you.”

“No, it's... I simply do not like to see anyone suffering. That is all.” She sighed. “But... I do still need something to address you as, in the absence of knowing your true name. What would you like me to call you?”

“Um...” He fell silent for a long minute. “I don't know,” he said finally. “I haven't really thought about it. I don't know what would suit me. Maybe you should pick something.”

“Me?” Her heart skipped a beat. “That is quite a responsibility, I don't know if I am up to it... it will be your name, after all, I'm not sure I should be the one to choose...”

“It's going to be for you to use,” he pointed out. “I don't see why you shouldn't pick. Just think of something you like, and we'll go with it.”

“But—but what if _you_ don't like it?” Mipha bit down slightly on her lower lip. “I don't want to call you a name you hate...”

“I'm sure I'll like whatever you come up with,” he said gently. “Just take a few minutes to think about it while we keep going.”

“Alright...” Mipha tilted her head back to look at the night sky as her mind cast about for a name that she liked that would suit her. It was tempting to simply call him Link, but she quickly discarded that idea. Saying that name aloud so often and reminding herself of him every time would just be too painful. Dozens of other possible names flitted through her mind, but she rejected every one. At last, though, an idea she was swiftly warming to floated to the surface. She took a deep breath. “How about... Ravio?”

“... Ravio?” He took a moment to consider it. “Yeah... that works.”

“Oh, good.” Mipha sagged with relief. “I was hoping it would.”

“It does.” He was quiet for a moment. “How did you come up with it, if you don't mind me asking?”

“It was in a book I read a long time ago, that a friend recommended to me.” _It was Link's favorite. He loaned me his copy and we talked for hours about it after I was done._ “I always liked it.”

“Then I like it too.”

“I—I'm glad.” Mipha smiled. “It is good to have something to call you, and even better that it is something you like.”

“Yeah, I—” He stopped. They were at the foot of a mountain path now, one that wound its way up a tall peak. The very one, in fact, that had the flickering light atop it. “Mipha, listen—we're about to go up a pretty steep path right now. I'll be very careful, and I swear I won't let you get hurt, but don't worry if you feel like you have to hold on tighter, okay?”

“It won't hurt you?” Mipha looked up at the path, and then back at Ravio, who'd turned his head back to look at her. “I don't want to cause you any pain...”

“I'll be fine.” He shook his head as she started to say something else. “Really. It shouldn't hurt, and even if it does, your safety's more important. I know how scary this whole thing must be for you...”

“It isn't. Truly. I suppose I probably _should_ be frightened, but..." Mipha smiled down at him. "I'm not. This may sound strange, since I barely know you, but I already feel safe with you." 

"... I'm glad." Ravio's eyes seemed to shimmer strangely; perhaps it was the light of the stars illuminating them. "The last thing I want to do is make you feel scared or uncomfortable." 

"Rest assured, you do not." Impulsively, she leaned forward and stroked the fur between his ears; he closed his eyes as she did it. "I am not either of those things in the least." 

“That's good.” He seemed to sigh, and then opened his eyes again and turned his head back to face the path. “Then, if you're ready...”

Mipha nodded. “I am.”

True to his word, the mountain path they traveled up was steep, and only got more so the further they went up. Ravio's breathing became louder and more labored as they got closer to the top, and Mipha's concern shifted to the strain the climb must be taking on him. It would've been a challenging road to take even without a passenger, and here she was weighing him down and making it harder to go up. Guilt gnawed at her. And it only intensified when he stopped to rest as they reached the summit, making it difficult for her to appreciate the view of the huge mansion that towered over them just a short distance away.

“I'm sorry,” Mipha whispered, reaching her hand out to stroke his fur again. “I'm so sorry, I know my being here made that climb harder for you.”

“Don't worry about it. Please.” He still sounded a little breathless. “It's better than asking you to climb it on foot.”

“I think I would rather do that than exhaust you so.” She kissed the top of his head and he shivered, presumably from the cold. “I wish I knew of a way to repay you for all your kindness tonight.”

“You're here. That's all I need.” Ravio turned back to look at her again. “That mansion is what will, I hope, become your new home for the next year. Snowpeak Manor.”

“It looks beautiful.” Mipha let her eyes travel over the building. Its walls were made of gray stone, the color of the roof obscured beneath a thick blanket of snow. Lights flickered in the windows, just as she'd seen from the bottom of the mountain. “I think I am going to like it.”

“I hope so.” Having rested himself sufficiently, Ravio began to walk the rest of the way towards the mansion's massive front doors. They were made of wood and intricately carved iron, and as he drew up in front of them, he lowered himself onto the stone entryway. “Go ahead and climb down now.”

“Thank you.” Mipha slid carefully off him. She watched as he got back up and pushed the doors open with one massive paw; they swung open with only a slight creak. Warm air rushed out at her, its source unknown, and she gaped at the massive foyer. The floors inside were gray stone as well, partially covered with a thick carpet in a rich, deep shade of red, and a huge chandelier hung from the high ceiling, casting a pleasant golden light over everything. At the very back of the long room was another huge door, and on each side was a staircase that led up to an unseen second floor hidden behind other doors. “Do you—I mean, will we be living here alone?”

“No.” He trotted past her, and Mipha followed him in. Ravio turned and nosed the doors closed behind them. “There are some others who live her and take care of things like cooking and cleaning. You'll be able to meet them tomorrow.”

“Oh.” Mipha looked down at her feet. “Will they like me, do you think?”

“I think it'd be very hard for anyone not to.” Mipha felt herself blush a little at that. “You don't have to worry about that. So try not to, okay?”

“I—I will.” Mipha swallowed. “Thank you. So... where am I to reside, then?”

“This way.”

Ravio led her over to the staircase on the right. Thanks to his size he was easily able to take several steps in one go, but Mipha climbed a bit slower, and so he paused often in order for her to catch up. At the top of the stairs awaited a long, dimly hall that he padded down, Mipha following closely behind. They had only gone about halfway when he came to a stop in front of a set of large double doors. “Here. This will be your room, and there's an attached bathroom as well. Everything here is yours now.”

He moved aside so that Mipha could open the doors herself; she gasped as they swung open. It was quite possibly the most beautiful bedroom she'd ever seen, lavishly furnished in gorgeous shades of blue that reminded her of the colors of her childhood home. A richly carved four-poster bed stood at the heart of it, and Mipha suddenly felt the irresistible urge to go lie down in it immediately. Maybe she was more tired than she thought? It had small tables with stained glass lamps on either side, a cushioned bench at the foot, and a huge, plush rug beneath it that spread out far beyond its edges. A comfortable-looking sofa sat beneath a nearby window that had its curtains drawn. Mipha let her gaze travel over the rest of the furniture—a large bookcase, a massive armoire, a table with two chairs, and a big desk with paper, pens, and other items neatly arranged on it—before turning back to Ravio. “This is incredible... are you certain I really deserve such quarters?”

“Of course you do. And that's not up for debate.” He laughed, as if to soften the stern-sounding words.

“You sound like my friends.” Mipha couldn't help but laugh too. “They said something similar just before we left.”

“You should listen to them, then.” His eyes grew serious again as he gazed down at her. “Listen... it's been a long day and we're both tired, I think... so I'll let you get to bed and we'll see each other tomorrow, okay?”

“Yes, that sounds good.” Mipha smiled up at him. “Goodnight, Ravio. Thank you again, for everything.”

“You're welcome.” He nodded at her. “Goodnight, Mipha. Sleep well.”

“You too!”

As soon as she closed the doors, Mipha sagged. Her weariness seemed to be hitting her all at once, all the more so for how overwhelming the arrival at this place was. Even her childhood home hadn't had the sheer presence this one had. Nor its mystery. That would disappear in time, she was sure, as she had the chance to explore and get adjusted, but for now it was a huge mass of questions stacked on top of each other. She'd gone into the unknown, and now that she was here she felt woefully unprepared for it all.

_At least it will be comfortable, though._ Mipha walked forward and dropped her backpack onto the little bench at the end of the bed. It was tempting to sit down beside it, but she knew she'd have a hard time getting back up if she did. Besides, she needed to walk around a little after the journey here. She crossed the room to the bathroom door, and opened it up. Her eyes went wide again and she sighed in delight. It had a nice large shower, bigger than she needed, honestly, but the main attraction was the tub set into the floor with steps leading down into it. There was more than enough room for her to stretch out, maybe even swim a little. That would be _wonderful_ to relax in some other night. Mipha smiled at the thought. For now, though, she would simply wash her face and hands and go to bed.

The deep blue sheets on the bed felt velvety-smooth against her scales, and so warm it helped her forget the chill of the snowy night outside. Mipha sighed in pleasure as she wrapped them around herself, and was asleep almost as soon as she turned off the light.

* * *

Morning came slowly to Mipha; she blinked, unsure of what time it was. The curtains that had been hung in here were so thick and heavy that they blocked out all light, and she didn't quite trust what she saw peeking out beneath. Her few experiences with snow were that a snowy night and a pale dawn could be indistinguishable from one another in brightness. “Nnnn...” She didn't really want to get up out of the most comfortable bed she'd slept in in literal _years_ , but she knew she had to. Rubbing at her eyes and yawning, she reluctantly rose and headed to the window.

A gray winter's morning greeted her as she pushed the curtains open. The sun was hiding behind a plethora of silvery clouds, which was nice as it meant her eyes didn't have to adjust much to the light. Snow spread out before her as far as she could see, a landscape in monochrome. Mipha pressed her hand to the cold glass as she considered it. Snow wasn't something that happened often where she was from, and honestly she wasn't its biggest fan. Maybe it would be easier to deal with if she bundled herself up from head to toe like the Hylians did, but that idea wasn't appealing either. Regardless of the kind of lewd, tasteless remarks that people like her former boss made about typical Zora attire—or lack thereof, as the case might be—she honestly felt more comfortable this way. It was easy to feel self-conscious sometimes about things that Hylians thought were weird, but at the same time she felt a certain stubbornness too, a refusal to assimilate too much to their ways. Which honestly could be equally strange to her, in all fairness. It made dealing with the extreme cold more difficult, but then, she'd never had to deal with it that much until now.

She had to admit that there was something appealing about it from inside the safety and warmth of her room, though. From here it looked very peaceful and still. Quiet. Mipha would always prefer flowing water to anything else, but at this moment, in this space of time, she could also appreciate the serenity of the frozen world outside her window.

_I don't know why, but it calms me somehow. No, that's wrong, I_ do _know. I have not had a moment like this in ages, where I can simply just be, and bask in the moment. I have been running from one thing to another like a cucco with its head cut off, as Impa always says, for_ years _now. Always stressing and worrying. And now I am here. I am ensconced in this silent realm of snow and ice, far from everything that caused me such stress. I am safe. I am not yet what I would call happy, but I_ am _content, to some degree. Which is a good start. Perhaps the happiness will come in time; I think I can wait for it._

Mipha pushed the curtains the rest of the way open, and did the same for the ones on the other side of the bed. _Her_ bed. Oh, what a far cry it was from everything she'd slept in these past few years. Which was exactly what made it so surreal to think of it as hers. Yet it was. Ravio had said that everything here was hers now. It was so easy to feel that she didn't deserve it, that it could be yanked away from her at any moment, but deep in her heart she already trusted him not to hurt her in that way. His care and concern for her comfort and safety last night spoke volumes of the kind of person he was. In a way, Impa's wish had come true: she _had_ found someone who wanted to look after her. It wasn't quite how Impa had meant it, of course, but at this point she was more than willing to take it, despite that she felt guilty for doing so. Maybe it _was_ time to relax and be kind to herself.

Her stomach growled abruptly, and Mipha laughed. Breakfast would be a good start. Well, if she knew where to go for it, anyway. She headed back to the bench and unzipped her bag. The pale blue shawl on top seemed as good a choice as any, and she wasn't feeling picky, so she pulled it out and wrapped it around her shoulders. Something fell onto the floor from beneath it; her heart flipped over as she bent to pick it up and realized what it was. The photo. Oh, in everything else she'd almost forgotten that she packed it. Mipha stared down at it for a few seconds before placing it on the nightstand table beside where she'd slept last night.

As she did, something caught her eye. She frowned. Was it her imagination, or was there a bit of an indent in the pillow on the other side? Yet, the sheets didn't seem to be disturbed that much. It _had_ to be her imagination. She was a deep sleeper, yes, but not so much that she thought she'd be oblivious to someone else joining her in bed. Besides, that made no sense anyway. It was probably some ridiculous interior design thing like on those home renovation shows Impa and Zelda would watch and make fun of while drinking wine. She shrugged and headed back towards the doors that led to the hallway.

“Oh hey, you're finally awake!” Something zipped past Mipha's head as she opened the doors. “Welcome to Snowpeak, sleepyhead!”

“Huh?” Mipha whirled around, and then jumped back in surprise as a glowing ball of pale golden light with shimmering wings flew up close to her face. “Oh! Who are you?”

“Wow, you're pretty!” She—the voice sounded like a girl's voice, anyway—moved from one side of Mipha's face to the other. “I'm Ciela. And you're Mipha, right?”

“I—yes. Yes, I am.” Mipha was still recovering from her shock as she watched the little winged orb flit around. “It is nice to meet you, Ciela. Forgive me if this is rude, but... are you a fairy?”

“Yup.” She flapped her wings a little. “I take it you've never met one before?”

“No.” Mipha shook her head. “I have only heard of you all, unfortunately... never once have I met one until now.”

“Well, that's okay. First time for everything.” Ciela settled herself just above Mipha's shoulder. “Anyway, as one of the official Snowpeak Manor fairies, it's my job to look after you and see to your needs. The others will help out too, but taking care of you personally is _my_ task.”

“Oh?” Mipha smiled. “That's very kind of you, Ciela. I hope I won't be too much trouble.”

“Don't worry about it. The boss said he wants you to be happy, so that's what I'm gonna try to do.” She nudged her with her wings. “So, how do we start doing that? Making you happy, that is.”

“I don't...” Mipha paused. “By 'the boss' do you mean Ravio?”

“Who? Oh, right, he did say you were gonna be calling him that. Almost forgot. Pretty neat to have a name to call the guy now, thank you for that.” Ciela flew a little higher. “Anyway. You're probably hungry, yeah? Would you like me to go get you some breakfast?”

“That would be wonderful, actually,” Mipha admitted. “There wouldn't happen to be any raw fish available, would there?”

“Oh loads. The boss had us all really stock up this week in case you decided to come.” She zipped over to the open door again. “Just hang on, and I'll be right back!”

“Thank...” Mipha trailed off as Ciela disappeared again. Her head was spinning, just like it had when she'd first heard of the reward she'd be getting for coming here. This place was even stranger than she'd thought. Fairies were so rarely seen these days that many people believed they were extinct, or had been a myth all along. The Zora, however, believed them to be emissaries of the Goddess herself, and so they had long been revered in their culture. She'd grown up hearing stories of them and where they could be found, and had even dragged Link along in her attempts to see one. They'd never found any, but just having little adventures together had made them both happy. 

_Happy_. It was what Ciela had said Ravio wanted her to be. It wasn't surprising, given his treatment of her thus far, but it did bring some warmth to her heart. He really was very kind, just as she'd thought at their first meeting. Impa and Zelda's fears had been reasonable, but also unfounded. She would be treated very well while she was here, and had nothing to worry about. That was something she planned to impress upon them once they got a chance to talk.

She didn't have to wait very long for Ciela to return. “And here you go! Breakfast is served!” She flew over to the little table, and with a swish of her wings, a plate laden with two large fillets of raw fish appeared. “Eat up, cause I'm going to take you on the grand tour after you're done.”

“That sounds lovely. And oh, this looks delicious, thank you.” Mipha sank into one of the chairs, and dug in gratefully. It had a nice, mild flavor to it. “Do you like working here, Ciela?”

“I haven't been here that long, but yeah.” She perched herself on the back of Mipha's chair. “It's not very exciting, but everyone's cool. The boss is pretty great. I don't see him that much, but he's always nice to me. A bit sad, but nice.”

_… Yes, I have noticed his underlying sorrow too. Whatever has been done to him to make him so? There is no way for me to know, but I wish I did so I could better help._ “Why do you not see him that much?”

“I dunno. I mean, I get busy with all the stuff to do around here, so it might be that I'm just not running into him. That or he hides during the day. Maybe that'll change now that you're here, though. I hope so. Poor guy seems like he could use a friend.”

“Yes, I think you're right.” Mipha pushed the empty plate away. “Well then, shall we start this grand tour?”

“Sounds good to me!” Ciela flew over as Mipha stood and made for the door, then hesitated. “You don't mind if I sit on your shoulder for a while, do you?”

“Of course not.” Mipha smiled. “You are most welcome to.”

“Cool, thanks. Okay, so we're going to head left, back towards the stairs but across the walkway to the other side, cause the other way just leads to empty bedrooms...”

Mipha followed Ciela's directions as she walked, letting the little fairy guide her along through the vast halls of the mansion. They visited a library, a conservatory with well-tended greenery and huge fountains—a place she would definitely have to return to on another day—a gallery full of paintings and statues, and various others. By the time they came to the ballroom, they were all beginning to blur into each other, and Mipha knew she'd have to learn them all over again at some point.

The ballroom itself was vast and cold and empty, save for one thing: Ravio, lying in front of the massive windows and staring out at the snow. He turned his head at the sound of her footsteps. “Good morning, Mipha.”

“Good morning.” She hurried forward to join him at the window. “So, um... how are you feeling today?”

“I'm fine, thanks.” He shifted slightly. “What about you? How did you sleep? Was it comfortable?”

“Oh, very much so!” Mipha nodded. “Thank you. The room is so wonderful, I really appreciate it. I... don't think I've slept that well in years, to be honest.”

“I'm glad you slept alright, but I wish it wasn't the first time in a while you got that.” Ravio sighed. “I'm sorry.”

“No, no, don't worry about it.” She shook her head. “Your actions have eased the stress that caused me to sleep so poorly these past few years, and for that I am grateful. Please try to think of it that way, that you have helped me.”

“... Okay.” He watched her for a moment. “Mipha, will you... can I ask you to do something for me?”

“Of course.” She took a step closer to him. Belatedly she realized that Ciela had flown away, probably to give them privacy. “Whatever I can do to help you, I will.”

“It's nothing major, just...” He lowered his head onto his paws. “I was wondering if you'd be okay with joining me for dinner in the dining room tonight. So we can talk about your day, or any concerns that are on your mind. You don't have to, of course, but...”

“No, that sounds lovely.” She smiled again. “I'll have Ciela show me where the dining room is, so that I don't get lost later.”

“Thank you.” Ravio's gaze flickered back to the window. “Sorry to keep you from whatever you were doing.”

“Don't be silly.” Mipha laughed. “It was good to talk to you.” She started back towards the door, and then paused, glancing back. “See you tonight, then.”

“Yeah. See you later.”

Ciela was waiting for her by the door. “Did you have a good talk with him?”

“Yes.” Mipha headed out, once again following where the little fairy led her. “Thank you.”

“That's good.” Ciela bobbed up and down in the air by Mipha's head. “I know the boss can be a little scary looking when you first meet him, but he's really nice once you actually talk with him.”

“Oh, I know.” Mipha smiled. “He startled my friends and I when he showed up to ask me to come here, but when I went out to speak with him he soon set me at ease. He reminds me of someone I used to know, actually.”

“Really?” Her glow seemed to get a little brighter. “Wolf or... well, otherwise?”

“A Hylian. We were best friends until he moved away and we lost touch.” She looked down at the floor. “He had a way of comforting me with his mere presence, and he was so sweet...” Mipha shook her head and sighed. “I don't wish to bore you by prattling on about that, though. Please, continue the tour.”

_Please give me a distraction..._

“Uh, sure.” Ciela made a noise that sounded similar to a person clearing their throat. “Well, this way is...”

* * *

Somehow, despite the many rooms there were to recall the placement and function of, Mipha managed to retain the memory of where the dining room was. Entering it now, she found it much as she had earlier in the day: the long, formal table pushed to the side, with a single, smaller one set close to a fireplace twice her height. There was a fire blazing there now, and the table had been set for a single person. And of course, Ravio was waiting beside it for her. He lifted his head to look at her as she crossed the room. “Hey, Mipha. Thanks again for this.”

“It is my pleasure.” She sat down in the armchair that had been pulled up to the table. “I presume I'm early?”

“Or dinner's running late. I'm not sure, honestly.” He scratched behind one of his ears. “It should be here soon, though.”

“No worries.” She spread the provided napkin across her lap. “I'm sure it will be—”

As if on cue, the dining room doors banged open again, and Mipha turned her head to see who was entering. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open in shock at the sight of the enormous white-furred creature lumbering towards them, bearing a tray of food. And was that a _saddle_ on his head? 

“Is dinner time.” He set the tray down in front of Mipha with more grace than she would've expected. “Hope you enjoy.”

“I—I'm sure I will,” Mipha said, craning her neck to look up at the unusual chef. “Thank you, ah...”

“Yeto is name.” He smiled, revealing large fangs. “I cook food here. You eat. See you later, guest of wolf.”

He lumbered back out through the doors, and shut them behind himself. Mipha blinked. “What...”

“A yeti.” Ravio shifted himself to move closer to the fire. “I know it seems weird, but he makes really good food.”

“Oh, I'm sure, I just... I was merely surprised. Everyone else I've met today has been a fairy.” Mipha glanced down at her plate. There was a bowl of some kind of creamy soup, a large piece of fried fish, and a small salad. If she had a nose like Hylians did, she would've wrinkled it in disgust at that last portion. How did they manage to stomach such things? At least there was some fish here. She picked up her fork and speared a piece of it. 

“How is it?” He lifted his head to peer at her across the table. “I know you'd rather have raw fish, but I couldn't talk him out of cooking something for you.”

“It's excellent, actually.” Mipha smiled. “I admit my preference is otherwise, yes, but the preparation here is so good I don't mind.” She looked at the plate again. “Although... do you think it would offend him if I didn't touch the greens? I'm afraid I've never acquired a taste for them...”

“Eh.” He moved his shoulders in what looked vaguely like a shrug. “I don't think he eats them either. I wouldn't worry about it.”

“That is good to know.” Mipha lifted a spoonful of the hot soup, and then paused. “But wait—where is your meal? Are you not hungry?”

“I can wait.” He looked away. “I'd... really rather not eat in front of you.”

She frowned. “I don't mind, really—don't go hungry on my account.”

“I'm not going hungry, I'm just waiting. And don't hurry, either,” he added, as if he'd guessed that she was about to say something to that effect. Mipha squirmed. How was he already so good at reading her? “I'm just... not comfortable doing that. I'd rather talk to you and eat later. How was your day, anyway?”

A very blatant way of changing the subject. But she'd let it slide since he was clearly so uncomfortable. “It was very good, thank you. Ciela took me on a tour of the mansion, and I enjoyed seeing it all. Even if I still feel very confused about so much of it.”

“Yeah, it's pretty intimidating at first, I know.” Ravio laughed. “I had trouble finding my way around when I first got here, if that makes you feel any better.”

“It does, actually.” Mipha giggled. “I am glad we have that in common. Makes me feel less alone and foolish.”

“It's not foolish at all. This place is huge. It's only natural to have to take some time to get used to it.”

“That is true.” Mipha took a sip of water. “All that said, though, I do think it is lovely. I can easily see myself feeling at home here once I've adjusted.”

“I'm glad to hear that.” He looked back up at her. “I really do want you to feel comfortable here. I'd hate for this to become an ordeal for you.”

“It's not. Please don't worry about that.” Mipha hesitated for a moment before speaking again. “I've... I have moved too many times for my own liking over the past four years. It has been a trial each and every time, and some part of me still fears having everything taken away at a moment's notice. It has made it hard to truly settle into any of my past residences. But here... here I know I will be able to stay, as I've longed to. I am slowly beginning to relax, I think. Once I can wrap my mind around this stability—temporary though it may be—I have faith that I will be happy here.”

“That's good. Though I'm sorry you had to go through all that.” He sighed. “You deserve so much better than the life you've clearly been living.”

_So do you_ , Mipha wanted to say. What sorrows had befallen him that he could not speak of? What losses had he suffered that weighed on his heart? If only she knew, so that she could comfort him the way he sought to comfort her. “And you have done much to improve it. Please do not forget that.”

“It's the least I can do in return for what you're doing for me.” Ravio looked away again. “I really can't thank you enough.”

Mipha shook her head. “To me it is not the least. It is worth so much.” She set her fork down. “In any case, I have eaten my fill, so I think I should leave you so that you can eat yours.”

“Did I say something to upset you?” Her heart broke a little at the worry in his voice, and she shook her head again.

“No, of course not.” Mipha rose from the chair and knelt beside him, looking right into his eyes. “Listen. You have been nothing but kind to me since we met, and you have yet to cause me any discomfort. I have enjoyed your company tonight, I truly have, but I also feel that I should not keep you from your own meal any longer.” She smiled and rubbed the top of his head. “Therefore, I bid you goodnight. I shall see you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, Mipha,” he said softly. “Sleep well.”

“Thank you. And I hope you will do the same.” She stood. “Goodnight, Ravio.”

Mipha returned to her room alone; Ciela had already ended her day and returned to wherever it was she stayed when she wasn't attending to her duties. That was fine with her—being in the company of others all day was extremely tiring. Ravio, like Link, was one of the few people that didn't drain her, but she was still weary after a long day of socializing, especially with someone she barely knew. She needed to recharge herself, and _badly_. A book from the manor's library awaited her on that amazing, luxurious bed, and it seemed like the perfect way to wind down the day.

_Tomorrow I shall see if I can learn the layout a little better, perhaps by exploring on my own. Or perhaps something else. I haven't decided yet. In any case, there is no rush, given the vast amount of time I still have here. If nothing else, I do not see myself becoming bored any time soon. For now, though, I shall simply relax, and bask in the simple pleasure of a good day... something I haven't gotten to do in far too long._

_I can only hope there will be many more._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And a big thanks to C_Aureus and EchoGekkos for helping me brainstorm the name Mipha gives to Link, as well as the fact that she comes up with it. You guys rock.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks so much for all your comments and support! <3 Keep them coming, they make my day!

Mipha's eyes flew open.

It was pitch-black in her room, and she couldn't see a thing, not even a trace of light from the edges of the curtains. There was no way of telling what time it was, and she didn't even remember falling asleep. No noise had startled her, so she shouldn't have woken up. Yet she had. Her heart was pounding so hard she could barely breathe, and she felt frozen with terror, unable to move.

There was someone else in bed with her.

She had her back to them, and they hadn't touched her. But she could feel their weight on the mattress, and hear their deep, even breathing. So close. Mipha swallowed. It would be easy, so easy, to cast this off as some kind of dream or nightmare, perhaps an episode of sleep paralysis if she had ever experienced that. And it was tempting, too—she wished fervently that she could just go back to sleep and pretend this wasn't real. Could she?

Second after second ticked by, turning into minutes. Mipha struggled to calm her breathing, slow her heartbeat. She clutched at the pillow, feeling the fabric snag on her nails and wincing at the damage done, however slight. There was no movement from the person beside her, no sound but that rhythmic breathing, so soft she could barely hear it over her own racing heart. Her mind struggled to push past her fear and think clearly.

_This has to be a mistake. Someone—some manor worker I haven't met yet—wandered in here by accident and fell asleep. Right? There can be no other explanation for such a thing. I should... I should attempt to wake them up, so they can find their way back to their own chambers. Yes, I will do that._

Her limbs still didn't want to move, but Mipha forced herself into motion. She rose to a sitting position, and turned towards her uninvited guest. They were further away than she'd thought, curled up on the very edge of the other side of the bed; reaching out to touch them revealed that they had their back turned to her, long hair fanned across the pillow behind pointed ears. Mipha took hold of one shoulder and shook gently. “Hello? You are in the wrong room, I believe, and...” She trailed off, not sure of what to say next. 

It didn't really matter, though, as the mystery person didn't wake up. Mipha tried again, shaking a little more firmly this time. Still nothing. She tried a few more times, but to no avail. _Oh, for Nayru's sake, it's like trying to wake a log!_ Breathing hard with frustration, she finally let go and turned away, flinging the sheets aside in her haste as she scooted back to her side of the bed. Mipha's hand landed first on the mostly smooth surface of the photo, and then she brought it upwards, fumbling for the lamp. It wobbled as she made contact, her fingers groping for the switch. Finally, she found and pushed it.

Nothing. The darkness remained unbroken. Mipha's heart stuttered. _No... this can't be... why would...?_ She tried again, pushing it the other way this time. It clicked, sounding so loud in the otherwise quiet room that she hoped it would at least wake up the person next to her, but once again nothing happened. The light didn't go on, and they didn't stir. Mipha tried a few more times, but met with failure on every one. 

_It is still very warm in here, so it cannot be a power outage. The bulb must have gone out, or there's a short in the cord. That's all. I will just have to use some other method._

She slapped her hand down on the little table again, feeling for her phone. It was on the other side of the photo, and she grabbed it with shaking fingers. Mipha pressed the button. It, like the room, remained dark. Heart banging against her ribs, she stared down at the void where she knew her hand was. How could this be? She'd made sure before she left the house with Ravio that her phone was fully charged, and in everything that'd happened on her first day she'd barely touched it since arriving here. _Did I shut it down completely and forget?_ Mipha held the button in for a few seconds and then released it. Nothing. Again. No logo from the phone's brand came up, no light, no signs of any life. She pressed it a few more times, hoping, but the hope dwindled and resignation set in with each unsuccessful attempt. Mipha sighed and returned the phone to the nightstand table.

What now? She hung her head, hands clenching into fists as the frustration built anew, feeling hot all over as her heart thumped and her breathing came fast and shallow. There hadn't been the slightest concern for noise as she tried and failed to turn on a source of light, and _still_ the unseen stranger hadn't woken up yet. Whoever they were, they slept like a stone. Screaming at them might work, but she wasn't sure she wanted to bring the whole household down on what was most likely an innocent mistake. There _had_ to be some other—oh! Of course!

Mipha sprang up from the bed and rushed to the window, remembering the couch beneath it just as she stubbed one of her webbed toes on its leg. She stifled a cry of pain, and then wanted to kick herself for doing so. It was purely habit, of course, but making a loud sound might've finally woken up the person in her bed. Instead they slept on, oblivious to her presence, as her eyes watered and she clutched her foot in one hand while holding onto the couch for support.

At last, though, the pain faded enough that Mipha put her foot back down on the floor. She moved more carefully now, reaching out for the thick curtains. Even though it was nighttime, this should still provide enough light to see by. And then she could evict them.

Or she would have, if the curtains would budge. They should've moved aside easily, but something was making them stick, and she couldn't get them to open up. Mipha didn't bother biting back her groan of frustrated rage. She all but stomped over to the other side of the window, and shoved at the curtains again. Still they wouldn't move, and still the person didn't give any indication of being anything but fast asleep. Mipha took a few deep breaths.

_There is another window on the other side of the bed. Perhaps the curtains there will open, though I haven't much hope at this point._

She walked as loudly as she could to the other window, giving the bed and the bench at its foot a wide berth. No noise came from the bed, not that she'd expected any. Her hands found the curtains, and she tried opening them on each end of the window, still to no avail. Mipha sighed. The only thing left to try was the lamp on this other nightstand, and she didn't have any faith that it would work either. Still, she walked over and felt around for it. 

As expected, it didn't turn on. Mipha bent down over where she knew her guest slumbered away, bringing her face so close that she could feel the warmth of their breath. She squinted into the darkness, willing her eyes to adjust enough so she could see something, anything, of the shape of their face, their features. It was too dark, though, and finally she gave up with another deep sigh.

_This is getting me nowhere, and I am out of options. And tired. So tired. I will simply have to make do with an uncomfortable situation as best I can._

Mipha straightened, and walked back over to where the small couch was. She climbed onto it carefully, curling up on the plush cushions. It was nowhere near as soft as her bed, and she missed the warm sheets, but she just couldn't bring herself to lie down beside a stranger right now. 

_It will be fine_ , she told herself. _In the morning I will see their face in the light, and this mistake can be cleared up. It shall not happen again._

* * *

Light pressed down on Mipha's eyelids from above; she groaned but didn't open them right away. It seemed like a better idea to get herself away from the source if she could, so that it didn't blind her. Her limbs felt so stiff though, and when she lifted her head, she almost shrieked at the pain that shot through her neck. Her eyes opened involuntarily, and on instinct she brought her hand up to shield them. She sat up slowly, massaging her aching neck with her other hand. _Ow._ This couch was not as comfortable as it had looked when she first got here, at least not for sleeping on.

_Wait. Why am I on the couch?_

Mipha lowered her hand, blinking as she took in her situation. Her memory of the previous night was fuzzy, lost in the dregs of whatever dream she'd been having when the light from beneath the curtains awoke her. _The curtains..._ Mipha turned carefully to look at them, feeling something spark in her disoriented mind. They were drawn tight over the window, light peeking out from beneath them. She stared at them for a minute, and then turned away when nothing came to her. 

_I must have been sleepwalking, despite that I have never done that before to my knowledge; in a strange place like this, with such upheaval to my life, it might be a natural reaction. I've never heard of such a thing, true, but one never knows. Either that, or I fell asleep while reading. Now that, that would not be the first time. I cannot begin to count how often Impa has found me dozing with a book, usually while studying. Yes, that must be what happened._

Satisfied with this answer, Mipha pulled herself to her feet, whimpering as twinges of pain shot through the areas where she was sore and stiff. Raising her arms above her head, she carefully stretched to try and ease her suffering. It helped, but only a little. Mipha yawned. If she wasn't so hungry, she'd be tempted to go back to bed. Her gaze traveled longingly over to the bed in question.

To the mussed sheets and the unmistakable indent in the other pillow.

Mipha's eyes widened and her heart hammered as memories of the previous night rushed back to her all at once. It hadn't been a dream. She hadn't sleepwalked, and she hadn't dozed off on the couch while reading. She'd fled to the couch, after repeated failed attempts to waken the stranger in her bed or at least shed some light on their face. The stranger who had already left, well before she'd woken up, without making enough noise to stir her.

Well. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing. They must have realized their mistake once they'd finally woken up, and made a hasty exit out of embarrassment. _I suppose I can't really blame them. I'd be mortified too if I'd done it._ There wasn't a way to talk to them or address the issue, but it probably didn't need to be at this point. They knew they'd made an error and would likely try to avoid repeating it in the future.

Yet something was still nagging at her. Mipha looked around, trying to figure out what was tugging on her senses. It took a moment, but then it hit her: both lamps were on. She stared. In her frenzied attempts to turn them on, she'd forgotten which position the switches were left in, and it hadn't seemed to matter at the time. After all, if the bulbs were out or there were shorts in the cords, then something like this shouldn't have happened. Yet it had.

She all but flew over to the table, retrieving her phone from where she'd left it. Sure enough, one push of the button brought up her lock screen. Ninety-six percent power. Mipha's hand shook. How was this possible? Why would these things act up so in the night, and then be perfectly fine this morning? It didn't make any kind of sense at all. Did it indicate some other reason behind the unexpected guest?

Mipha was so absorbed in puzzling over this mystery that she at first failed to hear her name being called. Then something thumped against the door. “Hey! Hey, princess sleepyhead! Everything okay in there?”

“Ciela?” Mipha dropped her phone onto the table and hurried to the double doors. The little fairy zoomed in as she opened them. “Yes, I am fine, don't worry.”

“You don't look fine.” Ciela flew close to Mipha's face, seemingly to inspect it. “You're—well, okay, you're always pale, but you look upset too. Shaken up. Did you have a bad dream or something?”

“Oh, don't I wish.” Mipha pressed a hand to her face and let out a shaky laugh. “That might be easier to deal with than what has actually occurred...” _Suddenly I understand what Impa meant when she said she might've preferred seeing a Poe to being confronted by a talking wolf. That Ravio does not frighten me now is beside the point._

“Oh no! What do you mean?” Ciela bobbed up and down in a frantic motion. “What's going on? Can I help? That's my job, you know!”

“I'm not certain there's anything you can do, but I will tell you anyway.” Mipha walked back and sank onto the bench at the foot of the bed. Her backpack was still there, reminding her that she needed to unpack it. Ciela followed. “If you will look at the bed, you will see the evidence of the strange thing that happened last night.”

“Hmm?” Ciela flew over, hovering over the pillows. “Restless night?”

“I suppose you could call it that.” She laughed again, humorlessly. “For I was not alone, you see. Someone joined me in the night, sleeping beside me in my bed.”

“Really? That's weird... what did you do?”

“I tried my best to wake them up, of course, but I could not.” Mipha sighed again at the memory. “I have not met many people in my life who sleep so deeply like that, I must say. So when that failed, I then attempted to turn on the lamps, and my phone, and even open the curtains. None of those things worked either.”

“Uh...” Ciela flew over to one of the lamps, and then back to Mipha. “They're on right _now..._ ”

“I've noticed.” She rubbed at the sore spot in her neck. “That is what makes this so confusing. If not for that, I might have been willing to brush it off as someone's honest mistake, but something about the difficulties in illuminating the room leads me to believe there is more at play here than I initially thought.”

“Did they do anything besides sleep?”

“No, not that I know of.” Mipha shook her head. “None of my things have been disturbed, and neither was I; I can be a sound sleeper myself, but not so much that I do not awaken when I am touched.” Both Link and Impa had found that out the hard way when attempting to surprise her with something nice, or in Impa's case play a harmless prank on her. “I do not know what roused me, but it was certainly not the person beside me. They were distant enough in this large bed, and facing away from me, and already asleep when I became aware of their presence. When I faced failure on every front, I moved to the couch and slept soundly until I awoke again on my own a little while ago.”

“Hmmm...” Ciela flew away again, over the pillows and the rumpled sheets. “I don't know what to tell you,” she said finally, after a long minute of silence. “I haven't been here that long, so I don't know all the secrets of this place. It could be haunted, or... someone could be testing you, in some way.”

“Testing me?” Mipha's expression became incredulous. “What in Nayru's name could someone be testing me on, especially in such a bizarre manner?”

“How should I know?” she said defensively. “I'm just the help. I'm supposed to bring you food and tend to your needs, not unravel mysteries.”

“But that's _exactly_ what I need right now—to unravel _this_ mystery.” Mipha restrained a groan of frustration. “If you cannot answer my questions, what am I to do?”

“Talk to the boss about it?” Ciela suggested.

Mipha considered it. “Yes, perhaps... I do not wish to worry him, but—” She stopped, her mind racing as a sudden thought occurred to her. “Ciela, you... you said this might be a test, correct?”

“Yeah.” She flew back over to Mipha's side, perching on her backpack. “Why? You figure out what it could be a test of?”

“Not exactly, but...” She stood and began to pace. “Ravio asked me here to help him with something, but he is unable to say what, due to some kind of binding upon him that prevents him from saying a word about certain things. Maybe... maybe my mysterious visitor is connected to that somehow. Perhaps solving it is part of what he wishes me to assist him with. If so, then I must do my best to solve this puzzle on my own.”

“That's the spirit!” Ciela swooped into the air again and back to the open doors. “Now, how about some breakfast? Same as yesterday?”

As if on cue Mipha's stomach growled, and she let out a genuine laugh this time. “Yes, please.”

“One extra-large fish, coming right up!”

She disappeared down the hallway, and Mipha pulled the chair back from the table, dropping into it and pressing her face into her hands. She still felt uneasy about the entire situation, but there was a growing sense of resolve building in her too. If this mystery was something that she needed to solve in order to help Ravio as per their agreement, then she was a tiny bit closer to fulfilling her end of the bargain. And that was no small thing, as she desperately wanted to feel like she was doing something to help him after all he'd already done for her. She could do this. She _would_ do this.

Ciela returned before long with her breakfast, and Mipha ate in silence until the little fairy spoke up again, just as she was almost done. “So, what are your plans for today? Is there anything else you want me to show you?”

“No, thank you.” Mipha shook her head. “I think that I should unpack the belongings I brought with me, and then I shall wander the manor on my own for a bit. If you don't mind, that is—I simply feel the need to be alone with my thoughts as I ponder this mystery.”

“Nah, you're good. I have some things I need to do anyway.” Ciela flapped her wings. “I totally get it, if I were in your—okay, you don't wear shoes and neither do I—if I were in your position, I'd be the same way right now. Do what you gotta do.”

“Thank you, Ciela.” Mipha breathed a sigh of relief. “I am glad I have not offended you.”

“Nope.” She flew up into the air again and back to the door. “I'll be off now, but if you need anything, feel free to call on me or any of the others, we'll come running. Well, flying. Anyway, bye!”

Once she'd finished breakfast and cleaned off her hands, Mipha started in on unpacking her bag. The laptop and books were placed on the desk, jewelry in the bathroom, and last she took out her shawls and carried them to the armoire. To her shock she discovered that it was not empty, as she'd assumed. Instead it was loaded with many more shawls, more than she owned, in much finer fabrics than she could've afforded back home. Mipha stretched out a trembling hand to stroke them, feeling the velvets and silks. So many beautiful colors and patterns. _Everything here is yours now._ Ravio's words echoed in her head. That clearly included this finery, which he hadn't mentioned at all. Waiting for her to discover it, no doubt. A twinge of guilt squeezed at her heart. Had he thought the gift was rejected when she appeared in the ballroom in one of her old ones yesterday? She hadn't felt like unpacking yet in her eagerness to see the mansion, and so she hadn't found these. Today she would definitely have to wear one. Mipha examined them all closely, and finally selected a shimmery gold one. She wrapped it around her shoulders and left her old ones in a neat stack at the bottom of the armoire.

She decided to head to the right this time as she left her room. True to Ciela's word, all that was on this side of the second floor were other bedrooms. None of them looked lived in, and there was a fine layer of dust on the furniture. Mipha soon grew bored, and headed back the way she'd come. There was a door on the first floor that Ciela hadn't taken her through, at least not that she remembered, and she was curious to see what was behind it. 

It led to another hallway, with rooms on either side, and a massive door at the end. Mipha walked all the way down to it, and found that it led outside, into a frozen courtyard dotted with statues whose shapes and faces were obscured by snow. A massive, iced-over fountain dominated the center, a short distance from a huge, circular building that she knew housed the library on its first floor. They'd entered it from the other side yesterday, but she still recognized it. Snow was falling today, and for a few minutes Mipha just stood there and watched it, mesmerized by the flight of the delicate flakes of white that descended unhurriedly from the misty gray sky.

She might have stood there longer, if the door closest to her position hadn't swung open with a bang, startling her. Mipha turned to see Yeto standing there, several feet away from her. His eyes lit up as he spotted her. “Ah! Zora girl! Thought I heard footsteps.” He took a step forward. “You help with something?”

“I can try.” Mipha walked towards him. “What do you need my help with?”

“Tasting.” He turned and walked back into the room he'd come from. Mipha followed. “Testing new recipe. Not sure if good yet.”

“Oh, um, well...” Mipha cleared her throat. They were in the kitchen, a warm, cozy room with ceilings high enough to accommodate the yeti chef, and a huge, sunken hearth set into the middle of the floor. It looked a lot like the Sheikah ones she was passingly familiar with. A fire blazed away in it, and above the flames hung an enormous iron pot. Something inside it was bubbling. “I will try it if you really need me to, but I must warn you that I am not the best judge of Hylian style food.”

“Is not problem.” Mipha jumped as she saw the source of the new voice—a smaller yeti seated on the other side of the hearth. “Only other person here wolf. Fairies not eat. You best one to ask.”

“That wife. Yeta,” Yeto explained. “Yeta, this is Zora girl. Name is...” He trailed off, and gave Mipha an apologetic look. “Name?”

“Mipha.” She smiled. “It is lovely to meet you both.”

Yeta merely grunted, but Yeto gave her a wide, toothy grin. He walked over to the hearth and began ladling what looked like soup into a bowl. He brought it over to Mipha. “Here. You try?”

“Ah, right.” Mipha took the proffered soup. It was a bright orange, and had a pleasant enough aroma. “What is in it, if I may ask?”

“Cheese. Pumpkin. Made with fish broth.” He gestured at the bowl. “Try?”

Mipha hesitated for a moment, and then lifted the bowl to her mouth. She let out her breath on it a few times, in hopes that it wouldn't burn her tongue, and then carefully tipped it so she could drink some. It was smooth and silky, and to her surprise she found herself actually enjoying the flavor. Perhaps because of the presence of fish broth. “Oh, this is rather lovely...”

“It not need anything?” 

Mipha shook her head. “Not in my opinion. But as I said, I am a poor judge of Hylian style food, so take that as you will. If you feel it will improve the dish to add more of something, by all means do what you think is correct.”

“Nah.” He turned away to stir the soup some more. “Is good enough. Just wanted third opinion. Wolf not around to ask, so come to you.”

“I see.” Mipha set the bowl down on the kitchen counter. “Well, then, I am glad I was able to help.”

Neither yeti said anything to her, too focused on staring lovingly into each others' eyes all of a sudden; Mipha smiled faintly at them and wandered back out of the kitchen. Testing the door at the end of the hall, she found that it opened. She hesitated. The snowfall was a little heavier now, and she wasn't sure she wanted to go out in it. Yet, the library door was right there, and it was a lot closer than walking back and all the way around to the other side. Mipha watched it for a minute more, and then closed the door behind herself and took off at a run.

The snow crunched loudly under her feet, the icy air biting into her like knives. It was hard not to appreciate all over again Ravio's forethought in bringing that elixir with him the other night. The courtyard was bigger than it'd looked from the window, and Mipha was shivering violently by the time she reached the door. She paused just inside it, and on impulse leaned back out and stuck out her tongue, like she'd seen Hylian children do the few times it'd snowed back home. It tasted... cold. Cold and wet. That was really it. Mipha hadn't expected anything else, but it still baffled her. Why did Hylians have such a fascination with it? The appeal was lost on her. She tried to remember if Link had done that, those times it'd snowed when he was still around. No particular memories of such a thing drifted up, but she did remember him suggesting they make snow sculptures of each other, one time when they were ten. Neither one had particularly resembled the other, but they'd had fun anyway. And then he'd gotten into a fistfight with a neighbor boy who'd started throwing snowballs at her. Mipha smiled sadly at the memory. Link had won, of course, but he'd wound up with a huge black eye. Typical of him, really. 

_It was always so upsetting whenever you got hurt... and without fail you would tell me not to worry because you were fine, regardless of what had happened. I was always willing to patch up your wounds, but I wished you would acquire less of them. I wonder, who is caring for you now, in my place? If only I knew where you are..._

She shook herself, and closed the door. The inviting warmth of the library was at her back, and Mipha turned to face it. Snow dropped from her fins and tail as she walked, melting instantly upon contact with the plush carpet. Her feet were almost numb from the cold, but they warmed up quickly. A fire crackled in the double-sided fireplace set at the center of the huge room, surrounded by comfortable armchairs and sofas. Small tables were scattered around for the convenient leaving of books or drinks.

Just before she reached the sitting area, her phone buzzed at her. Multiple times. Mipha frowned and pulled it out from where she'd tucked it into the silver belt she wore around her hips. Several text messages, too many to read at once, had popped up. And before she could scroll back up to absorb them all, a call came through. Impa. Mipha answered it. “Hello?”

“There you are!” The line was a bit staticky, but she could understand her well enough. “Where the hell have you been? You haven't answered any of the messages we sent you!”

“I've...” Mipha frowned down at the phone. “They've only just come through now...”

“What?” She could practically hear Impa's confused frown. “But me and Zelda, we've been trying to text and call you since yesterday... when you didn't answer, we got really worried.”

“I didn't receive anything until right now, I swear.” Mipha's frown deepened. “I'm terribly sorry to have worried you both, I don't know why this would happen.”

“Well... where the fuck _are_ you?”

“The Tabantha frontier. Up in the mountains.”

She heard Impa let out a disbelieving laugh. “Out in assfuck nowhere, you mean! I thought there were only yetis and ice keese in those parts! No _wonder_ the service is abysmal.”

“Yes, I suppose that would explain it,” Mipha said, with a laugh of her own. “Abysmal seems a bit generous, in fact.”

“Well, that shit's not gonna fly, how are you supposed to keep in touch with not just us, but your dad and your brother too? You need a better connection. Should I send Purah up there to whip it into shape?”

Mipha giggled. “As fun as it would be to see your sister, I'm not sure she could find this place. It's... very secluded, let's just say that.”

“And if you were staying with someone hot instead of a giant fucking wolf, I'd think that that sounded romantic.” Impa sighed. “How's that working out for you, anyway? He treating you well?”

“Yes, very.” She smiled. “I have a beautiful room—I'll take pictures for you later, maybe they'll even send at some point—and I get waited on, and of course he is very kind. I have no complaints, except maybe about all the snow.” She didn't need to know about the stranger in her bed last night. Impa would hit the _roof_ if she heard that.

“Right, you're not a big fan. Which I completely understand.” Impa paused. “I'm glad to hear you're doing okay otherwise, though. We've been concerned about that. Not just cause you weren't answering, but... just in general, you know?”

“I do. I understand. And I appreciate your concern. However, your fears were unfounded—I am perfectly safe and comfortable. Please try not to worry about me.”

“That's... really really good to hear.” Impa let out a long sigh. “I mean, you're always saying not to worry about you, but I'm glad you're doing fine. You can always come straight home if you're miserable, but, well... as much as I'd love to see you, I'd hate for it to get to that point, know what I mean? Does that make any sense?”

“If you're trying to say that you don't want me to suffer enough that it necessitates my return, then yes, it does.” Mipha smiled fondly. “Thank you, Impa. I truly do appreciate it.”

“It's nothing. Well, not nothing, just—only natural to care about a friend, right? Heh.” Impa laughed. “Zelda's not here right now, but she says to tell you hi and she misses you. So do I.”

“I miss you both too.” Mipha traced one finger down the side of the phone. “It's been good to hear from you.”

“It's been good to finally get through to you.” Impa laughed again. “Anyway, I gotta let you go—need to get to class soon. You take care, alright?”

“Of course! And the both of you, as well!”

“You know it. Bye!”

Impa disconnected from the call, and Mipha went back to her text messages. They were all from Impa and Zelda, sounding increasingly worried as time went on. Oh, but there was one from her father as well, asking how she was. Her stomach twisted with guilt, despite that she didn't have any control over when these arrived. She typed up a message to him assuring him she was fine, apologizing for the delay as service here was terrible, and promising to call as soon as it was sorted out. It took a few minutes, but eventually went through. Mipha sighed. Even in here, it wasn't very reliable.

_Should I tell Ciela about this, see if she can do something? No, that probably wouldn't work—anything that needs to be done would have to be run by Ravio first, and so why should I waste her time? I shall simply ask him about it at dinner tonight._

* * *

The dining room looked exactly as it had the night before, right down to Ravio waiting by the fire for her. His eyes were closed, but he opened them as she approached. “Hey, Mipha.”

“Hello.” Mipha smiled. “For a moment there, I thought you were asleep.”

“Nah, not yet.” Something flickered in his eyes as he took in what she was wearing. “That color suits you.”

“Thank you, I...” Mipha felt her face heat up with shame. “I'm so sorry I did not find them yesterday, I simply didn't feel like unpacking because I was so eager to look around... they are all so beautiful, I cannot thank you enough, and I hope you didn't think I didn't want your kind gift...”

“Not at all.” He shook his head. “I figured that might have been the case. Please don't feel bad, I'm just glad you like them.”

“I do, I love them.” She sat down at the table. “You have been nothing but considerate to me since we met, and I wish I could return the favor.”

“You already are just by being here. Don't worry so much about it.”

Mipha's mind drifted briefly to her realization about the stranger in her bed. “That is good to know, I—” 

She broke off as the door swung open and Yeto lumbered through. He grinned. “Food time. I know you will enjoy meal, Mipha.” He set the tray down and left, but not before winking at her.

“What was that about?” Ravio asked, sounding faintly amused. 

“Oh, he...” Mipha glanced down at her plate and laughed. Sure enough, the soup she'd sampled was on there. “I was looking around some more, and he roped me into taste-testing this soup. I tried to tell him I'm not the best judge of Hylian style food, but he and his wife insisted, so I gave in.” She took a spoonful of it. “It's actually rather good.”

“Really?” He rose up just enough to peer over the table at her meal. “What's in it?”

“He said pumpkin, cheese, and fish broth. That last one is probably why I like it,” Mipha admitted. “I have no idea if that sounds like an odd combination to anyone, but I enjoy it.”

“Hmmm. Maybe I'll have to try it sometime.” He settled back down. “So that's what you did with your day? Looking around more?”

“Pretty much.” There was a nice large piece of grilled fish tonight too, and—sigh—a pile of fried greens. Mipha used her fork to push it away from the fish, inwardly cringing. “Oh, but that reminds me, I also went to the library again, and it was only then that I was able to receive messages and a call on my phone from my friend Impa. She told me that they'd been trying get in touch with me to no avail, and my father tried to contact me as well. I was wondering if, perhaps, there might be a way to get a better connection? I do not wish to worry any of them with my silence.”

“Uh, well...” He shifted slightly. “I mean, I guess I could have someone from the village come up here soon and check it out, but I can't make any promises about what they'll be able to do—it is pretty remote up here.”

“I realize that, I simply—wait a moment. The village?” She set her fork down. “What village?”

“Tabantha Village. Very creative name, I know.” He rolled his eyes, and Mipha laughed. “It's on the other side of this mountain. Pretty much the only settlement for miles, I believe. It's not bad, though, there's more there than you'd expect from a place calling itself that. I'll get someone to come up and check things out for you, though it might take a few days.”

“That is fine, don't worry.” Mipha took another spoonful of soup. “I believe I can hold out until then; I shall simply have to go in the library every day to check on my messages, and that is no hardship.”

“I thought you might like that room.” He yawned. “So you were able to talk to your friend? Did you have a nice conversation with her?”

“Only for a short time, as she had to get to class. I told her how wonderful the house is, and how very cold it is, and of course about how sweet my new friend is.” She laughed as he covered his face with his paw. “I had to set her mind at ease, of course. She and Zelda were so very worried about my coming here, and I wanted them to know that their fears were groundless.”

He lowered his paw to look at her. “And your father? What did you tell him? I can't imagine this going over any better with him than it did with them.”

“You are right. It wouldn't have.” Mipha stared down at her lap. “That is why I told him that I had gotten accepted into a study abroad program with a full scholarship and all expenses paid. He has...” Her voice caught. “He works so hard, struggling to keep his company afloat so that he can provide for me and my younger brother, Sidon. So hard that I fear for his health. If I lost him too, I...” She pressed the back of her hand to her mouth. “I could not bear it. And it would devastate Sidon too. He is only seven years old, and has already been growing up without a mother. I cannot watch him grow up without a father too. I hate to lie to Father, but I feared that the truth might be too much of a strain on him. So I must pretend, for now.”

“... So that's what you meant about what to do with the money I offered you.” Ravio sighed. “Mipha, I'm so sorry. That you're going through all this, I mean. You don't deserve to be burdened like that.”

“I don't think anyone does.” She wiped at her eyes with the corner of her napkin. “But yes. As soon as you made your offer, that is instantly where my mind went. I wish to preserve what is left of my father's health so that he will be with us for many more years, and get to see Sidon grow up. And I also wish to give Sidon the opportunities that he is currently being denied due to our situation. I want to give him a _future_.”

“And you will. I've already set up the transfer of funds, it should've gone through by now. Check your account tomorrow. And then give some to your father.”

Mipha's eyes widened. “Already? But... I have only been here barely two days...”

“It's what I said I would do as compensation for uprooting you, remember? And I keep my word. Or I try to, at least,” he added quietly, an unreadable look coming into his eyes for a brief moment. “In any case, the money is yours. Use it to help your family.”

“Oh, thank you...” Fresh tears sprang to her eyes. “Thank you so much!”

“It's—” 

Ravio broke off as Mipha jumped up from the table and knelt so she could wrap her arms around his neck in a hug. She felt him go very still, startled by her sudden show of affection. She pulled back and stroked the fur between his ears again. “ _Thank you_ ,” she repeated, her voice barely a whisper.

“... You're welcome.” His own voice was almost inaudible, and he was staring at her with a stunned look in his eyes. “It's... the least I can do for you.”

“But it means so much to me.” Mipha smiled through her tears. “It truly does. I can use this money to make their lives so much better. Impa too—she hasn't had it quite as hard as I have, but she is still nowhere near comfortable. Now I can see to her as well, give her the stability she deserves.”

“And what about you?” he questioned her. “What are you going to do for yourself?”

“I... haven't thought that much about it,” she admitted. “Only in the vaguest terms—pay off the things I need to pay off, and set myself up somewhere nice. Nothing beyond that.”

“Heh.” He closed his eyes and shook his head. “And yet you'd have me believe that you're nothing special.”

“Don't—don't start with that.” Her voice wobbled. “I am only trying to do what is best for my loved ones. That isn't unusual. I'm sure there are many others in the world like that.”

“I'm not so sure, myself. But I guess we'll have to agree to disagree, since I don't think either of us is going to change the other's mind.” He laughed, though it sounded sad somehow. “I wish I could change yours, though.”

“Maybe someday you will. Just so I can prove you wrong,” Mipha said primly. _There he goes again, reading me as easily as if we've known each other for years... it's so uncanny it's almost annoying. At least in this instance._

“I'd like that, actually.” Amusement glinted in his eyes. “It'd be the one time it'd be fun to be wrong.”

“You,” Mipha declared coolly, “Are impossible.” She tried to maintain a straight face, but when their eyes met the facade crumbled and she dissolved into laughter. Ravio started laughing too, a much warmer sound this time. She smiled. “And on that note, I will bid you goodnight, for I fear I've kept you from your food for too long.” Mipha rose. “Thank you again.”

“You're welcome. Goodnight, Mipha.”

* * *

Mipha woke with a start.

At first she was confused. Then her brain caught up with what she was seeing—or rather, _not_ seeing—and a tidal wave of frustration crashed over her. It was _dark_ in here. Pitch-black, just like it had been last night. No light whatsoever, and when she waved a hand in front of her face, she couldn't even see any motion.

That should not have been the case, though. Mipha glared into the darkness. She'd thought she was being so smart, by leaving the lights on and closing her eyes so she could pretend to be asleep, waiting for her mystery visitor in case they showed up again. Well, they had. She could hear them breathing, feel their weight on the bed. But she'd fallen asleep for real somehow, and now the lights were out. Which meant there was no chance of getting them back on, if the previous night's events were anything to go by. And she had a feeling they were.

Suddenly, Ciela's words drifted back to her: _it could be haunted_. Mipha's heart skipped a beat. What if she was right? What if this actually was some horrible specter? Poes could mimic the sound of breathing, it was said. All she knew about this person was that they had long hair and pointed ears, which only meant that they weren't a Zora, Rito, or Goron. She didn't think they were Gerudo, either—the shoulder she'd grabbed hadn't been large enough for that. Which left Hylian, Sheikah, or... undead creature posing as one of the two. She shuddered. 

Slowly, so as not to disturb them, Mipha sat up. She inched closer to the person. Reaching out, she touched their shoulder again. This time, they were lying on their back, though still at the very edge of the bed. Good. That would simplify this. Cautiously, she moved her hand down and laid it on the person's chest. It rose and fell gently under her palm, and she could feel firm muscle beneath the soft fabric of the shirt, but most importantly she could also feel a heartbeat. Mipha sagged in relief. That settled it. Poes might be able to fake breathing noises, but not this. This was someone _living_ , thank Hylia.

All of a sudden, the person rolled away with a grunt that sounded decidedly like a man, dislodging Mipha's hand from his chest. She drew back as if burned, holding her breath as her heart raced; but his breathing remained deep and even and he made no more noises. Mipha slowly relaxed as it became apparent that he was still asleep, letting her breath out. She eased herself back onto the pillow and pulled the blankets up over herself as she closed her eyes.

 _Well, that obviously did not work. I am relieved that he is not some wicked undead beast, but I am still no closer to solving this mystery. It is... frustrating to say the least. I have to remember that I have only just begun, and there is plenty of time left to me. I_ will _solve this eventually. I must. For Ravio's sake, this puzzle has to be worked out. I have no choice._

_But now is not the time to be agonizing over it. I must sleep, and tomorrow I will think on what to do. My head will be clearer in the light of day, and hopefully it will come up with a solution._


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this probably gets repetitive, but I truly do love all your comments. <3 Thank you for your continued support of this story!

“Mipha?”

“Hmm? What is it, Ciela?”

“Nothing much, just... mind telling me why _you're_ the one waiting to let this guy in?”

It had been nearly two weeks since Ravio had agreed to have someone come up to check on the internet connection and phone line. As he'd predicted, the company in charge of such things up here hadn't been able to send someone out right away, due to scheduling. What he hadn't predicted was that a massive blizzard would delay things further, and worsen the already terrible service they had on top of that. Mipha had tried to be patient, recognizing that the weather and the company's overloaded schedule were no one's fault, but the guilt of not being able to stay in better contact with her friends and family was really wearing her down.

So was the ongoing situation with the man in her bed, honestly. She'd been trying everything she could think of to solve this puzzle, which admittedly wasn't much. And of course, every single thing had struck out. She'd hit a wall. The only thing she really had left to try was to somehow stay awake long enough to attempt talking to him when he came in, before he could fall asleep and be lost to the world. To her eternal frustration, though, she hadn't managed it yet. Getting up early so she could see him wake up and leave wasn't an option either—setting the alarm on her phone was futile because it never started working again until he'd already left.

At least he seemed harmless. She'd checked every night, and he was always perched right on the very edge of the bed, as if he was trying to stay as far away from her as possible. It was a wonder she hadn't been woken up yet by him accidentally rolling off onto the floor. And when she chose a different sleeping spot, whether it was the floor or her tub, it didn't matter—he remained in that same place on the bed and didn't try to join her. Whoever he was, he didn't seem interested in bothering her more than he had to with his mere presence. Which, of course, just made the whole thing all the stranger. One of these nights she _had_ to stay awake somehow and talk to him. She just had to.

“Because Ravio asked me to.” Mipha glanced up at the door. She was seated on a small bench tucked into an alcove at the very back of the house, by the door that Ciela had referred to as a 'tradesman's entrance'. So very old-fashioned. Her own father had just let everyone come in through the front door. But then again, it made a sort of sense here, as this was the area of the house that had access to the road that led down to Tabantha Village. “He said that while I am very kind and open-minded to not be afraid of him, most others are not the same, and he would hate to see me lose my ability to stay in touch with my loved ones because the repairman fled at the mere sight of him.”

“Oh, well, huh... that's sadder than I expected.” Ciela flew over to the door and peered out the little window. “I thought it was gonna be something like... you're pretty much the lady of the house now.”

“The—oh, Ciela!” Mipha burst into a fit of giggles. “That makes it sound like he and I are _married!_ ”

“Ahhh, spare me the mental image!” Mipha laughed harder at Ciela's horror. “I just meant that you're not a worker here, like the rest of us... there's the boss, and we wait on him, and now there's you, and we wait on you too, you're not scrubbing floors or anything.”

“... I know.” Mipha sighed. “I am aware that I do not do anything to pull my own weight around here...”

“Hey, stop that!” Ciela zoomed back over and tried to swat her with her wings. “He invited you here for a reason, right? And he _wants_ you to be all pampered and everything, _right?_ So just relax and enjoy it!”

“You sound like him.” Mipha looked down at her hands, clasped in her lap. “He has tried to tell me the same thing on more than one occasion. But I find it so hard sometimes, especially when I see how hard you all work, and when my efforts at solving the mystery of my nighttime visitor continue to fail. I cannot help but feel like I am not doing nearly enough to earn everything I am continually given.”

“You—”

A loud knock sounded on the door, cutting Ciela off. Mipha sprang up and hurried over. Opening it revealed a Sheikah man of about average height, with the strangest hairstyle she'd ever seen, and goggles over his eyes. Mipha blinked. “Hello, you are here to see to our connection? Please come in.”

“I do believe so.” Snapping his fingers idly, he strolled in. “Unless I got the wrong address somehow...”

“Pfft.” Ciela made a snorting noise, somehow. “Do you see any _other_ huge mansions on top of mountains around here?”

“Ciela, really!” Mipha's face grew hot. “Please, don't mind her.” She extended her hand. “I am Mipha, forgive me for not already introducing myself.”

“Nice to meet you, Mipha. You can call me...” He struck a pose with one hand on his hip, the other extended above his head. “Robbie.” He grinned. “Now where's all this equipment that you need me to take a look at?”

“Um, well...” Mipha let her hand drop to her side and cleared her throat. “Right this way...”

Robbie followed as she led the way to the library, though not quietly; she could hear him snapping his fingers and humming, and occasionally imitating what was probably a guitar riff. Ciela flew along beside Mipha's head, grumbling all the way about how his noises were getting on her nerves and the sooner they got this over with the better. Mipha tried to shush her, but none of it seemed to affect the oblivious Robbie.

To his credit, though, he dove straight into work as soon as they got there. Mipha headed over to the sitting area and waited, flipping idly through a book. She'd brought her laptop down here today, hoping that the problem would be fixed enough for her to have a video chat with her father and Sidon. It'd been so long since she'd seen their faces, which made her miss them even more.

“Ciela?” Mipha asked a little while later as she watched her flit around the room. “Do you think this will work?”

“Can't say.” She landed on the back of a chair across from Mipha. “Technology can be weird, you know? Sometimes whatever's wrong doesn't immediately make itself obvious. He might be back there for a long time.”

“Yes, I know.” Mipha sighed. “I just hope that whatever he does, he can provide something better than what we currently have. It is difficult, not being able to speak to those I love and am so very far away from.”

“Yeah, I can imagine.” Ciela paused. “Oh, but, um...” She flew closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You haven't told any of them about the whole 'guy sleeping in your bed' thing, have you? Cause I can't see that going over real well, especially with your dad." 

"I can't either." She couldn't help but shudder at the thought of telling her father about it. Even if her mystery visitor kept his distance and only slept, certain topics were just too, too awkward to discuss with one's parents. Not to mention the worry it would definitely cause him. "Which is why I am continuing to not say a word." 

"Oh, good." Ciela sounded relieved. "Cause, y'know, I'd hate to see you get in trouble over it." 

"Trouble?" Mipha laughed. "Ciela, I am twenty years old. I am not going to be sent to my room on time out over what I choose to do in my personal life." 

"That's not what I mean, I think I chose the wrong word..." She bobbed up and down in a nervous motion. "Make things awkward, maybe? Get you into arguments? I don't know, I hope you see what I'm getting at..." 

"I'm not sure, but I think I do." She smiled. "Don't worry about it." 

“If you say so.” She flitted away again, over to where Robbie was still working. “How's it going back there?”

“Heheh... funny you should ask... because I have finally...” Robbie stood up, and struck the same pose as earlier. “Finished my analysis of the problem! OH YEAH!”

“Um, well, that's good...” Ciela flew closer to where he'd been tinkering around. “And the verdict? Is it fixed?”

“Well, it ain't gonna be perfect.” Robbie strolled out from behind the counter, snapping his fingers again. “I can't tell what the initial problem could've been, so it's hard to fix something like that.” He stroked his chin as if deep in thought. “But I did manage to improve upon it, so it'll work better than it has been, at least.”

“What do you mean?” Mipha stood, frowning. “There was clearly something wrong, I did not receive any messages for over a day and things have been very spotty since.”

“Well, to be fair, we do live up on top of a mountain, in the snow, far away from the village,” Ciela pointed out. “It's probably just that.”

“She's got a point.” He adjusted his goggles. “Anything else you need me to look at today before I go?”

“Not—not exactly, but...” Struck by an idea, Mipha hurried over to him. “I do wonder if you might have a theory to share on a particular problem I've been having.”

“... Go on.”

“It is a very strange one, that only seems to happen at night.” Mipha twisted the ends of her shawl in her hands. “Every night, after I have gone to bed, my lamps cease to work and my phone will not turn on. When I awaken in the morning, everything is back to normal. What do you think could be causing this?”

“Nothing I've ever heard of.” Robbie frowned. “My specialty is phone lines and internet connections, I'm afraid... I'm no electrician. Cellphones aren't my area of expertise, either. You'll have to call in someone else.”

“Oh.” Mipha's shoulders slumped. “So you don't have any ideas at all, then, about what could be causing it?”

“I really can't say.” He shook his head. “It's possible something's hinky, because a good researcher never rules anything out, but there's no way for me to tell. Your little friend is probably right about the location being the explanation, though. Oh hey...” He snapped his fingers. “A rhyme!” There was silence for a moment, and then he coughed. “In any case, sorry I can't help you more.”

“Don't worry about it.” Mipha smiled, trying to mask the disappointment she felt. “You have done your job to the best of your ability, and that is all anyone can ask.” She lifted up her purse and began to rummage for her wallet. “Now, about payment for your work and time here...”

“Not necessary.” Robbie waved his hands in front of himself. “The guy who hired me already paid in advance. No worries.”

“Oh.” Mipha blinked. “Well, then... I shall show you the way back out.”

By the time she got back to the library again, Mipha realized she was hungry for lunch. She had Ciela bring her some food, and when she'd finished she switched on her laptop, holding her breath as it began to load up. Sure enough, true to Robbie's word, there was a fairly steady internet connection waiting for her. And she wasn't late for the time frame in which she'd promised to call her father. Heart racing, she started the call. Her phone would work too for such a thing, of course, but she wanted to see their faces on the larger screen of her computer.

It took a couple minutes, but at last her father answered. The picture quality wasn't the best, but it was a lot better than what she'd been getting over the past week and half. Which was nothing. “Mipha! It worked.”

“Yes, Father, it did.” Happy tears sprang to her eyes. The money she'd managed to transfer to him had enabled him to finally retire, and he looked so much less tired as a result. _What a joy, not just to see his face, but to hear him sounding like this. I have not seen him so relaxed in years. Perhaps not ever._ “I am so happy we can finally talk like this. I've missed you and Sidon so much.”

“We have missed you too of course, my darling daughter.” Dorephan smiled back at her. “Your brother has been asking me every day if it is the day you would call us. He—”

“Mipha? Is that Mipha?” Sidon bounded onto the couch beside their father, and his face lit up as he saw the screen on the table before them. “Mipha, Mipha! You're calling!”

“Yes, I am.” Mipha laughed and wiped at her tears. “Hello, Sidon. It is so good to see you.”

“It's good to see you too! I miss you!” He leaned in closer. “How is it out in wherever you are?”

“It's very cold.” She smiled. “I don't think you would like it.”

Sidon's eyes went wide. “Is it _snowing?_ ”

“Not right now, but it has a lot this past week. That's why it's been so hard to get in touch with you.” Mipha sighed. “But now things have been seen to, and hopefully we shall be able to chat more often.”

“Ew. I don't like snow.” Sidon made a face. “It makes all the water frozen so we can't go swimming.” A look of concern came over his face. “How are you getting to swim? Do they have a pool or something at that weird school?”

“Yes, they do,” Mipha lied. “And I also have a nice tub in my bathroom, so there is that too. Do not worry about me.”

“Yay!” Sidon grinned, showing off all his sharp teeth. Mipha felt a pang. Obviously no one had yet made him feel self-conscious about his smile, the way people already had with her at that age. She hoped no one ever would. “I hope you're having fun, Mipha.”

“Yes, I feel the same,” Dorephan said. “You are well, then? Everyone has been treating you right?”

“Wonderfully, yes.” Mipha smiled. “I have yet to meet anyone unkind, and I am adjusting very well, I believe. I do miss you all, but it is lovely here too.”

“I am glad to hear it.” Her father leaned closer. “And you are being careful in that terrible weather? You are taking care of yourself?”

“Yes, I am.” Mipha nodded. “I do not go outside unless I have to.” Which was also starting to wear her down. “And the few times I have, the—the school is very generous about providing elixirs for protection against the elements.”

“That is good to hear.” Dorephan leaned back. “The last thing I want is for you to become ill or injured while you are so far away from us. I am glad they are looking out for you and the other students, when I cannot.”

“What's an elixard?” Sidon leaned close to the screen. “Is it like a lizard?”

“No. But I have heard rumors that...” Mipha lowered her voice and leaned closer. “That some of them have lizards as an ingredient.”

“Ewwww!” Mipha couldn't help but laugh, and so did he. _Thank you, Sidon... thank you for keeping me from crying again at Father's words._ “That's gross. What's in the ones you drink?”

“I have no idea. And maybe that's for the best.” She winked, and he giggled again. “It might put me off them if I knew, and I would hate for that to happen. You see, an elixir provides various protective effects, and the ones I have taken keep me warm so that I will not suffer in the cold.”

“That's—” The sound turned to static, along with the picture, and Mipha's heart dropped. “—pha? Mipha, where'd you go?” Sidon sounded panicked.

“I am still here!” The picture cleared up a little, but not enough to see their faces clearly. “But I fear the connection is starting to fade, so we may have to continue this another time.”

“But I have lots to tell you!” Sidon sounded distraught. “I don't wanna forget it by the time you call again!”

“Write it all down for me, then.” Mipha could feel fresh tears coming on, and she fought to keep them out of her voice. “I promise I will call back soon. I love you both so much...”

They both echoed the sentiment, but it was drowned out in more static. All the same, Mipha didn't let herself make a sound until she'd disconnected the call and shut her laptop down. Only then did she let out a small sob of frustration.

 _Even here, I still cannot get things to go right for me._ Her shoulders shook and she pressed a hand to her mouth as the tears began to spill out. _My terrible luck has followed me, as I should have known it would. I cannot seem to manage to keep in touch with my loved ones as I wish, and my efforts to solve the mystery that plagues me every night keep meeting with failure. Whatever am I to do? There is no way to see him, no way to wake him when he sleeps, short of screaming my head off and causing a disturbance throughout the entire manor that would bother everyone else, and I cannot think of what could be the purpose in all of it. Nor how to unravel it. There are no clues. Nothing I can latch onto. Is that truly all I am capable of doing for poor Ravio? Nothing? I want so badly to be able to do_ something _for him, anything, and it seems so hard to believe that simply sitting around his manor is enough. He holds so much pain within him, and I am unable to reduce it in any way, it feels like. And meanwhile Ciela and all the other fairies, and Yeto and Yeta, are working so hard to make everything run smoothly for the two of us. I am the only one who does not seem to be contributing, and yet I have been given so much. It does not seem fair, and I have a hard time believing it is merited. It cannot be. I don't deserve this, I..._

“Mipha?” It was Ravio, walking over to sit beside her chair with a look of deep worry in his eyes. “Why are you crying? What's wrong?”

“I...” Mipha gulped down another sob. “It's nothing.”

“No, it's not. You wouldn't be crying over nothing.” He sounded almost hurt by her answer. “If you don't want to talk to me about it, you can just say so. But please don't lie.”

“I—I didn't...” Mipha's eyes went wide and shook her head. “No, no, I wasn't... I just...” She wiped at her eyes. “I'm sorry. I just didn't want to worry you.”

“I've already seen that you're crying, so it's too late for that.” He sighed. “Sorry to bother you. Should I just go?”

“No, no, don't.” She shook her head. “It's not that bad, really. I am mostly just... frustrated. By various things.”

“Like what?” His gaze traveled to the laptop. “Did the attempt at setting up a connection not work?”

“No, it did, it's better than it was, but it is still not particularly great, and my call to my father and brother did not last as long as I would have liked.” Mipha sighed. “And that isn't your fault, so please do not apologize. You are not in control of such things.”

“But I'm the one that brought you to this remote place.” He looked away, sighing again. “So in a way, it is my fault, and I'm sorry—I wanted this to work better for you so you wouldn't be so isolated from them.”

“No, don't say that. I agreed to come, remember? All you did was ask. I agreed, knowing I would be far away from them for a year. This is something I should have been prepared for.” Mipha pulled her shawl tighter around herself. “And anyway, this connection, fragile though it may still be, is nevertheless better than what I had before today. I am still able to keep in touch with them, and I should temper my expectations when we are living in such a place.” She tried to smile. “ Forgive me for worrying you, I was overreacting a bit.”

“I don't think you were.” Ravio turned his head back and studied her; his gaze was so intense that Mipha found herself squirming, wondering what eerily accurate insight about her he was about to pull out this time. “It sounds more like it was the last straw, and there's other, bigger things bothering you, enough that it just... set you off. What else is upsetting you?”

“I—I don't know what you're talking about...” Mipha looked away, at the fireplace. “There's really nothing I—”

“Mipha, you _just_ said you're frustrated by various things.” He sighed. “Again, you don't have to tell me about them if you don't want to, but just say that. Stop worrying about... well, about worrying me. I want to do what I can for you. I don't want you to be unhappy.”

“Haven't you done enough already?” Her voice cracked, even as his eyes went wide at her words. “You have already done so much for me, and I... meanwhile, I am unable to do even a single thing for you in return. You tell me that my being here is enough, but I don't feel that it is. How can I possibly be doing enough?”

“You're doing more than you think. Mipha, you...” He paused. “You're here for a reason. Even if I can't tell you why, it exists. And believe me, I wish I _could_ tell you. There's _so much_ I want to tell you.” His voice shook. “But I can't, and I'm sorry. I really am. If I could talk freely to you, I could make you understand that you're doing enough. _You're_ enough.”

“I don't feel that I am,” Mipha whispered. “I don't. Everyone else here is working so hard, and I continue to be capable of nothing. I don't deserve any of this.”

“That's just not true.” He shook his head. “You're doing your part in your own way, even if you don't know it. So please, try to believe that, and don't beat yourself up so much. I want to see you be happy, after everything you've been through.”

Mipha shook her head. "You shouldn't be worrying about that." 

"Oh, I disagree.” Irritation kindled in his eyes. “Someone has to, especially since _you_ won't." 

Mipha stiffened, her tears momentarily forgotten. "And what on earth is _that_ supposed to mean?" she asked, her heart starting to pound and her face growing hot. 

"It means I'm tired of hearing you dismiss yourself like this." Frustration mingled with sorrow in his voice. "You're always putting everyone ahead of yourself, and while that kindness is part of what makes you extraordinary, it's heartbreaking to see you take it to the point where you refuse to look after yourself at all." 

"I—I don't..." Her breath was coming fast and shallow, and she struggled to find the words to defend herself. "It isn't like that..." 

"Isn't it? You..." He stopped, and sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. I just... want you to start valuing your own feelings. For your own sake." 

"No, I..." Mipha's voice died in her throat as what he'd said sank in. The room blurred, and for a moment, she wasn't really seeing Ravio, or anything around them. Then she shook herself. "I am the one who should apologize. I'm sorry for upsetting you so." 

"It's fine," he said quietly. "Just... think about what I said, okay? You deserve better than to think so little of yourself." 

He turned and walked away. Mipha watched him go, feeling paralyzed, but as he reached the door she found her voice again. "Wait... wait, I..." She swallowed as he stopped and looked back. "Will I still see you at dinner?" 

"... Of course." He nodded. "I'll see you later, Mipha." 

"Yes," she whispered, her throat tight. "See you..."

* * *

Mipha leaned her head against the dining room door and sighed.

On one level, she knew exactly what awaited her in there: a roaring fire, a table set for one, and her friend Ravio, curled up in his usual spot close by. But on the other hand, there was also a deep uncertainty that made her hesitate to go in. He'd told her he would be there, that she'd see him at dinner... but what would she see in him, in his manner? They'd _never_ spoken to each other like that before today. And while there was an undeniable—and unsettling—familiarity to it, that didn't leave her feeling prepared for whatever was going to come next. 

_I hurt him. I did not mean to, and I would never wish to... but I did it anyway. Which is the last thing he deserves. He has been nothing but kind to me, nothing but a friend, and yet I caused him sorrow, when he already carries so much of that in his heart. I have been agonizing over how to ease it, and yet I only increased it. To make matters worse, when I apologized he dismissed it with a simple 'it's fine' as if I had done nothing truly wrong. How can he forgive me so easily? What have I ever done to merit the care of such a kind soul? I cannot understand it._

Mipha sighed again. Her hand was wrapped around the knob, but had come no closer to actually turning it. She didn't know how long she'd been standing there, just hovering outside the door and trying to steel herself to enter. What must Ravio think? Did he think she'd changed her mind about coming to dinner? Did he not want her to join him tonight after all? It was hard to decide which seemed more likely. And while she worried over it, loud, echoing footsteps came up from behind her. 

“Mipha?” It was Yeto, carrying her dinner tray. His massive face creased with concern. “You not feeling well?”

“No, no, I was...” Mipha tried to smile. “I was merely lost in thought. Allow me.” She opened the door, and then stepped aside so he could enter first. “After you.”

“Ah, thank you.”

She followed him in, heart in her throat. Ravio lifted his head to look at them both, and when their eyes met Mipha could only maintain the eye contact for a few seconds before glancing away, guilt surging through her. Yeto set the food down on the table, and she barely heard what he said, only nodding in response as he left. Sinking into her seat, she used her inspection of tonight's meal as a way to avoid looking at Ravio again. Paella this time, with plenty of blueshell snails. A pang went through her that had nothing to do with hunger. It was a beautiful dish, and it smelled delicious, but her emotional state was such that she knew she wouldn't be able to truly appreciate it. Hopefully he would make it again soon, once things were less awkward.

“How does it taste?” Ravio asked after she'd taken several bites. “It was my idea, since I thought you might like it...”

 _And you were right. How did you know? Link used to make this for me, because he knew how much I like blueshell snails. He was so proud to have mastered it, and so happy that I liked his cooking..._ “It's wonderful. Thank you.” She risked a glance at him, and smiled tremulously. “It is something of a favorite of mine, though I have not had it in some time.” _Three years, in fact. I haven't been able to bear it till now because it reminds me so much of him._

“I thought you preferred your fish raw?”

“I do, but... a friend of mine made this for me, and it was so good I made an exception.” _As I did with everything he made me._ “This tastes so much like his, and it brings back good memories.”

“... I'm glad.” He turned to stare at the fire. “Because I... really do want to see you be happy.”

“I know,” Mipha whispered, staring down at her plate with blurring eyes. “And I am so sorry for causing you pain over it. It truly is the last thing I wish to do. I have been so worried about not being able to help you, that I ended up hurting you. I am so very sorry.”

“Mipha, I'm not angry at you.” Ravio sighed. “I just want you to slow down and realize that you are enough, and that you deserve happiness at least as much as anyone else. I won't ask you to believe as I do that you deserve it _more_ than anyone else, but I do want you to accept that it's okay for you to have it. That it's okay for you to take care of yourself and your own feelings, and to ask for help if they're overwhelming you. You don't have to do everything yourself, and you can take breaks and prioritize your own needs. It doesn't make you a bad person.”

“I know it doesn't. I know that on some level. I do. And I would be the first to say that to someone else. But...” She took a deep breath and let it out. “For whatever reason, I have always had a very difficult time applying that to myself. Especially when I have had a great many responsibilities piled on me, for years now. When I have had to sacrifice things for the sake of others. I have never minded, truly, but...” She sighed. “Perhaps it has played a part in shaping me. I cannot say.”

“What kinds of things?”

“Oh, you know...” Mipha let out a humorless laugh. “After we began to struggle financially, there were things I wanted to do that I no longer could, because we couldn't afford them. It was hard to let go of those things that I had loved and wanted to continue with, or just to do at all, with everyone else, but I felt horrible for being sad about it, even if no one else knew it. Selfish.”

“You're the least selfish person I've ever met, but okay.” He shook his head. “It's not selfish just to feel a sense of loss for things you wanted and can't have anymore. It's how you dealt with that sadness that's important.”

“I never told anyone I felt that way. Not until now. I didn't want to burden anyone.” _I even kept it from Link during that period when we still spoke, because he was going through enough and I couldn't bear to trouble him further._ “I pushed my feelings down, as always, because I felt they were not nearly as important as being able to help my father and my brother. And they weren't, because they needed my help more than I needed to stay on an athletic team, or go to a dance, or... any of those silly things.” She smiled sadly. “Isn't it funny how they seem to matter so much at the time, until later when you look back and realize that you were making far too big a deal over them?”

“I guess.” He shifted. “I still hate to think of you going without things that would have given you happy memories.”

“Don't be. I have my whole life ahead of me to make other ones.” Mipha smiled again, more genuinely this time. “And I have you to thank for that, remember? I will no longer have to suffer the stress I have been living in for so long. Your kindness has changed everything.”

“It hasn't changed how you see yourself,” he said quietly. “You still think so little of yourself and your own needs.”

“It cannot. At least, not right away.” Mipha looked away. “I have always put others first, and that will never truly change, it is part of who I am. And I have spent so long tending to others' needs and neglecting my own because I believed it to be best, that I do not know how to care for myself.”

“Then let me look after you,” he whispered. “Please. At least until you learn how to do it yourself.”

“I...” Her eyes blurring, Mipha had to take a moment to just breathe until she felt she could trust her voice again. “Yes... you may. But only on the condition that you let me do the same for you.”

“... Not what I had in mind. But fine. I'll take what I can get.” He sighed, sounding resigned. “And you call _me_ impossible...”

Mipha gathered up her bowl, fork, and napkin and sat down beside him, leaning gently against his side; she heard him make a noise of surprise. “I would say we both are.”

“Heh.” He closed his eyes. “Maybe you're right.”

She ate the rest of her meal in silence, and when she was done she put everything back on the table for Yeto to clear up. Mipha then turned and bent down so she could stroke Ravio's head. “Thank you,” she said softly. “I do not pretend to understand why you are so concerned for me, but I accept it. I hope that will be enough.”

“It is.” He opened his eyes again to look at her. “Don't worry about it.”

Mipha smiled sadly. “I will try.”

* * *

_“We'll stay in touch every way we can, okay?” Link smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. He was so obviously trying to be brave for her, and it was painful to watch. “I'll even write you old-fashioned letters, so you can hang onto them. They'll take a while to get to you, but...”_

_“You don't have to do that, really,” Mipha said softly. “I know you'll be very busy settling into your new home, adjusting to a new school and everything. Don't worry so much about me.”_

_“Mipha, I want to.” He frowned. “I want to stay in touch with you always. Don't you?”_

_“It doesn't matter what I want.” She shook her head. “Let us be realistic... in time, you will forget all about me, because you'll be so busy with your new life and all that that entails. It's only natural.”_

_“What? No, it isn't.” Hurt filled his eyes. “How can you say that? I...”_

_He turned and started to walk towards her bedroom door, but Mipha rushed after him and grabbed his hand. “Wait, Link, I...” She swallowed hard. “I only... I only want to make this easier on you...”_

_“How can any of this be easy for me?” Link's voice shook. “How could you think that forgetting you would be easy?”_

_“Because—because—” Tears grew in her eyes. “I thought... that if you were to let me go, it would make it less painful for you in the long run, instead of keeping you chained to the past.”_

_“But that would hurt you so much,” he whispered. “How can you ask me to do that to you? That can't be what you want...”_

_“I want you to be happy,” Mipha said in a choked voice. “I don't want you to be suffering so much after you leave. If you can move on and let go of our friendship, it could ease your heart. I am only trying to think of your feelings, that is all.”_

_"What about yours?" Link finally turned around, frustration writ large on his face. "When are you going to start valuing your own feelings, Mipha? You always say you hate it when you see me get hurt, so how do you think I feel whenever you dismiss yourself as unimportant?"_

_"I..." Mipha took a deep breath, trying to fight off the tears. "I just..."_

_"You're important, Mipha. And not just because you're my best friend. You're important and you matter." He sighed. "I'd forget my own name before I ever forgot you. Please don't ask me to even try to do that."_

_"I'm sorry..." She wiped at her eyes, wanting to see him clearly. After all, she soon wouldn't be able to see him at all anymore. "I just... want the best for you..."_

_Link let out an incredulous laugh that sounded dangerously close to a sob. "Staying here with you is what's best for me, but that's not an option at this point."_

_Mipha's heart broke. "Link..."_

_"Don't tell me to forget you or let you go or any of that bullshit." Link pulled her into a hug, leaning his head against hers. "Because I won't. Whatever happens, I'll always keep in touch with you, I'll never stop being your friend. I promise."_

_She still wanted to tell him to do just that, to forget her and let her go and move on with his life so he wouldn't suffer in her absence, no matter how much it would hurt her. But no words would come out anymore, and instead she buried her face in his shoulder as they both cried._

Tears blurred Mipha's vision, and she closed her open book on her finger before they could drip onto the pages. She'd been trying to read the same paragraph for several minutes now, but the memory of that argument with Link had destroyed her ability to concentrate on it. The feelings he'd expressed, even some of the words he'd used, were so eerily similar to what Ravio had said to her today that she couldn't help but keep dwelling on it. Oh, how much he reminded her of Link sometimes! Too much, if she was honest about it. 

_I wanted you to keep your promise, Link. I truly did, even though it was so selfish of me. And I believed you would. But you didn't. In the end, you did what I told you to do and let me go, and it hurt more than I thought possible. I have never recovered, and I fear I never will. No matter what I do, no matter how many tears I cry over you, I cannot seem to wipe you from my heart the way you wiped me from yours. And now, faced with someone who reminds me so much of you, it is even harder. I know Ravio isn't anyone but himself, and deserves to be seen that way. Yet I cannot help but think of you, every time he does or says something that reminds me of you. If it were not for that, I don't believe I would be thinking about you at every turn. Being around him can hurt so much sometimes for that reason, even as I enjoy his company. My heart is so torn and tattered, and I don't know if it can ever be repaired. Which only makes things worse, because he worries so over me, and I do not wish for him to, I want to be able to smile genuinely for my new friend and allow him to do good for me the way he so clearly wants to. But he cannot heal the wound that is my lingering feelings for you, and I cannot tell him that. I don't know what to do._

Mipha wiped at her eyes and turned to look out the window. It was a perfectly clear night, and brighter than usual thanks to the shimmering ribbons of green light that undulated in the sky above. She'd heard of the northern lights, of course, but had never gotten to see them until now. As with her meal earlier, though, her mood wasn't one that would allow her to properly appreciate it. She sighed. And then she yawned. She'd soaked for a good long while in her huge tub earlier, as was becoming a nightly routine, and the hot water she'd run this time was making her sleepy. All the crying certainly hadn't helped either.

_Whatever was I thinking? I need to stay up so I can talk to that man and find out some information. If I go to sleep, I shall lose another night to failure, and I cannot bear that right now. I must end this day on something going right. Anything._

Mipha opened the book back up and resumed her attempts at reading. That, she felt, would help keep her awake. However, her eyes began to fall, and her head drooped, and soon enough she was fast asleep on the couch, book still in hand and the curtains open wide behind her.

When she awoke some hours later, it was as dark as usual. The curtains were closed tight, blocking out all light from the aurora, and nothing could be seen in the shadows. Mipha sighed. She hadn't expected anything else, but it was disappointing all the same to have unintentionally sabotaged her own efforts by falling asleep _again_. When was she going to catch a lucky break? It looked impossible from here. 

Oh well. There was always tomorrow night, and she had to remember that she still had so, so many months left to go in her agreement with Ravio. Not being able to solve it in time seemed equally unlikely, if she looked at it that way. She just had to be patient. And get a good night's sleep, which wasn't going to be achieved on the couch. Mipha grimaced at the memory of the first—and only—time she'd tried to sleep here. Never again. She took her finger out of her book, figuring that she'd find the spot she left off at in the morning, and made to stand up.

Only to go very still, as what she'd missed mere seconds ago finally registered: someone had draped a blanket over her. Mipha blinked. When had that happened? And _how_ had it happened? It must have been done very lightly and carefully, so as not to wake her up. The blanket itself was soft and warm, and if she didn't know better what pain awaited her as a consequence she would've stayed right there and slept under it. As it was, though, Mipha sighed resignedly and got up, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders.

She walked over to the other side of the bed and tentatively reached out. Sure enough, her unseen guest was right at the edge of the mattress again. He didn't stir. Mipha knelt down beside him, and laid her hand atop his. “Thank you,” she murmured. No answer came, but she hadn't expected it. She squeezed his hand, and then returned to her side of the bed to sleep.

_This mystery only grows more confusing. Oh, I do hope I can talk to him soon..._


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of you who are commenting on this story, you're wonderful. All of you! <3 Thank you!

Mipha opened her eyes.

Her room was dark, but not the unnatural pitch-blackness that she'd become so used to. There was a little light from the edges of the curtains, that strange brightness that came on a snowy night, and it allowed her to see shapes in the shadows. The outline of her chair, her table, her armoire. It wouldn't last long, but that was fine. Tonight, she was prepared.

It had been two weeks since her argument with Ravio, since the night when the stranger that slept beside her had placed that blanket over her as she dozed on the couch. Two weeks of trying and failing to stay awake long enough to speak to him. But tonight, oh, tonight was different. Though tired, she was nevertheless wide awake and ready. Ready to get some questions answered.

Mipha laid still, patiently waiting. Listening. Since he wasn't a Poe, he was bound to make at least some noise coming up the hall. And sure enough, there they were. Footsteps. They were soft and quiet, but unmistakably there. It was hard to tell what direction they were coming from, though, unfortunately. Oh well.

The footsteps stopped. Mipha held her breath as the knob turned and the door opened soundlessly. There was the tiniest flicker of light from somewhere in the hallway, and then the familiar inky darkness descended. The light wasn't enough to illuminate the face of the person hanging back just behind the door, but Mipha thought she saw a silhouette for a fraction of a second. If her eyes weren't playing tricks on her, the man who slept in her bed wasn't very tall. Only a few inches taller than she was, in fact. _Interesting._

He closed the door behind himself, and stood there for several agonizing seconds as Mipha forced herself to breathe as evenly as possible. Finally, he walked over to the other side of the bed and climbed in; she felt the mattress shift under his weight, the blankets moving as he pulled the sheets up. How quickly he fell asleep she didn't know, so she knew she should act fast. “Who are you?”

He gasped, and the bed shook slightly as his body jerked in surprise. _Good. He's still awake._ “I know you are there,” Mipha continued when he didn't answer. “I know you have been joining me here for about a month now, ever since I was brought to this place. And I know you're aware of that. But that is all I know. There is so much about you and your purpose in doing this that is a mystery to me, and I would like some answers. So to begin with, I ask once more: who are you?”

No answer came. Mipha took a deep breath and spoke again. “Please, won't you tell me who you are? Or why are you doing this?” Silence. Irritation began to rise up, and she opened her mouth to repeat herself, but then paused. In the absence of any other sound in the room, she could easily hear him breathing. And he was breathing _fast_ , as if he was scared of something. Despite everything, Mipha felt her heart soften and ache. “Oh, don't be afraid. Please.” She sat up and scooted closer to him, though not too quickly. “I am not angry. I only wish to know a few things about you. About this.” She took a deep breath. “If you will not, or cannot, speak to me, then... will you please give me your hand?”

A long minute of silence dragged on. Then she felt his outstretched hand tentatively touch her leg. He lifted it back up immediately, as if embarrassed, and Mipha gently took hold of it. She heard his breathing stop for a moment and then begin again, a little slower but still very shaky. His hand was nice to hold, she realized distractedly; warm and soft, yet with the impression of underlying strength. No one had held _her_ hand in a long time, it seemed like, so this was strangely comforting in a weird way. But she needed to focus on her questions, not silly things like that. “I only wish to ask you a few simple things, and then I will let you sleep. If the answer is yes, squeeze my hand once, if no, then squeeze twice. Is that alright?” 

One squeeze. She relaxed a little. “Thank you. Well then, I...” She paused, suddenly at a loss for words. "Forgive me, I don't know what to ask first... I've been waiting so long for this, and now I hardly know where to begin, oh, how silly of me..." Mipha pressed her other hand to her face out of habit, as if the darkness wasn't shielding her already. Her companion made a quiet noise that sounded like he was trying to hold back a laugh; she couldn't help but laugh a little too, even as her face heated up. _Well, that certainly is an icebreaker, if nothing else._ She took a deep breath and let it out. “I suppose I should start with the most obvious question: do you mean me any harm by doing this?”

Two quick squeezes, before she was even done speaking. Evidently he felt very strongly about that. Mipha had already suspected it to be the case, but it was still good to get a confirmation. “Good to know. Next... I wish to know if there is a reason for your doing this?” _Yes_. “And do you have a choice in the matter?” _No_. Mipha nodded to herself. “Can I... can I see you?” A swift _no_. Disappointment flared up, but she shoved it down. That too she should have expected. “Very well then, one last question. Can I trust you?”

There was a slight pause before he squeezed her hand once. Mipha frowned. “I do not know what to make of that, but I suppose it will do.” She gently squeezed his hand, and she felt it tremble in her grasp. “I will leave you be now. Sleep well.” Letting go of his hand, she returned to her side of the bed and laid down. His breathing was still a little erratic, but as she laid there it calmed and eventually evened out as he drifted into sleep. Mipha stayed awake a little while longer just listening to it and mulling over his answers before closing her eyes and falling asleep herself.

* * *

Morning came far too soon for Mipha's liking. She could feel the light from under the curtains pressing against her eyelids, but she groaned and pushed her face deeper into the pillow. Her sleep had been peaceful and undisturbed, yes, but the problem was that she felt like she hadn't gotten enough of it. That was what came of staying up so late to talk to her... oh, how _should_ she refer to him? Nothing she settled on seemed quite right, since he hovered in a bizarre gray area between stranger and acquaintance, and so many other words that came to mind felt too intimate for someone who merely slept in her bed and wouldn't even speak to her.

Well, that was assuming he could at all. Maybe he had a spell on him, similar to the one on Ravio, or he was simply mute. That was always a possibility, one that made her feel guilty for trying to push him into talking. They'd managed to communicate a few things, at least, so it hadn't been entirely unproductive. She now knew that he apparently wasn't doing this of his own volition. According to him, anyway. Though that _would_ explain why he kept so much of a distance between them in bed every night: he wasn't any happier about having to be there than she was, and wanted to disturb her as little as possible. That thought had already occurred to her a couple weeks ago, and it seemed to have been confirmed. It, and the incident where he'd oh so carefully put a blanket over her, suggested that he had at least some concern for her comfort.

Why, though? It was just one of many unanswered questions that had been raised by their conversation—if it could be called that—last night. Mipha frowned, her eyes still closed. Assuming that whoever was responsible for him having to sleep in her bed was also responsible for Ravio's curse seemed like a logical leap to make, but it was by no means guaranteed. And even if so, who had done this to them? Why? She couldn't see any purpose to it, and it wasn't likely that either of them was going to be forthcoming about it. They probably _couldn't_ be. Mipha sighed. A large source of Ravio's heartache seemed to be that there were a great many things he was physically unable to tell her that he wanted badly to say. She could try her best to soothe his other hurts, if he would let her, but that one she couldn't do anything about. Yet, anyway. Maybe whatever he was convinced she was doing by just being here would, in time, break this curse he suffered so much from. Maybe. Hopefully.

At least she could see him and hold a proper conversation with him. Not so much with her mysterious guest. That was another strange component of this—that he could not be seen. It explained why it went so dark when he entered, and why the technology shut down, with even the curtains being unable to be drawn. Didn't explain _how_ , but given all the other strange things here, she was fully prepared to just shrug it aside as some kind of magic and leave it there. What was it Impa had said, the night Ravio had first come to their backyard? Something about what was a little more weirdness? Well, that certainly applied here. Should she be disturbed about how easily she was coming to accept that all these things were real? Possibly. Was she disturbed? No, not really. Only the apparent malevolence behind what had been done to Ravio and this man bothered her on any sort of meaningful level. There were all sorts of old legends and tales about people who had crossed the wrong person, whether by accident or because of their own malicious actions tempting divine retribution; it didn't seem like the latter applied to either of them, though. It didn't _feel_ like that was the case. Ravio was far too kind and gentle to have done anything truly awful, and she didn't think this man who shared her bed was inclined to cruelty either. More likely was the idea that they'd accidentally done something to incur the wrong someone's wrath, or were just innocent victims who'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time. As anyone in the vicinity of a wicked magician was, really.

Of course, there was also the fact that he'd hesitated slightly before squeezing her hand once to say that she could trust him. What on earth had that been about? Hours later, after a restful if too short night's sleep, she still didn't know what to make of that. If only he would—or could—speak, so that she could get that and some other answers out of him. Sure, she could always repeat what they'd done last night, but that kind of communication method only went so far. He would only be able to answer simple yes or no questions, and that severely hampered her investigation efforts as so many of her questions couldn't be answered like that. _So many._ Unless she could figure out a way to retool and simplify them—something that felt impossible in some cases and immensely tedious in others—there were just some things she was not going to be able to find out. She would have to accept the limits of what she could do here.

Though that didn't mean she had to like it, any more than she liked the fact that she did, really, need to get up right now. Mipha scowled as her stomach growled insistently at her. That she was so hungry wasn't the only problem, the other was that Ciela would probably be here soon, and that would put a definite end to her hopes of being able to go back to sleep for a little while. _Ugh_. Stifling another groan, she opened her eyes and looked around. 

Just as she'd figured, it was morning, and a bright one too, judging by the light that poked out from beneath the curtains. Which naturally meant that the man was long gone, having somehow risen before she did and making his way back to... wherever he went during the day. Mipha pursed her lips. Another mystery, another unanswered question. She hadn't even thought of _that_ one until now. Great. One more for the pile.

Sighing deeply, Mipha sat up and rubbed her eyes. After another yawn, she swung her legs over the side of the bed so she could get up and open the doors for Ciela to come flying through. Something caught her eye, though, in the corner of her vision, and she turned to see it.

It was a folded up piece of paper, resting right atop the photo she still kept on the bedside table. Mipha's heart skipped a beat as she reached out for it. It looked and felt like the same paper that had been provided for her at the desk here in her room. Holding her breath, she unfolded it and began to read the words scrawled across it.

_I want to explain my last answer to you, the one where you said you didn't know what to make of it. My hesitation in replying to you was only because it's impossible to say all that needs to be said when you're using such a limited method of communication as we were last night. So here goes: I swear on my life that I would never harm you. And I hope that you can trust me on that. But that choice is, ultimately, yours to make. I can't make it for you. So I'll leave it up to you to decide._

Mipha read the note again, and then again a third time. _Well then. That certainly does explain that odd pause. And honestly, it makes sense—were I in his position, I wouldn't want to force someone to trust me either. That he has the same consideration for my feelings that I would have if our situations were reversed speaks well of his character. I don't think there's any reason to doubt his sincerity, either, as it lines up with all his other actions to date. For whatever reason, I do feel inclined to trust him. Which just makes this all the stranger._

Perhaps she would write back later. For now, though, she needed to start her day. Mipha opened the little drawer at the top of the nightstand and slipped the note inside. No sooner had she stood up than she heard Ciela's voice at the door. “Hey! You sleep in again?”

“A little bit,” Mipha called out as she headed to the door. “This bed is just so comfortable I cannot help it.”

“I'll take your word for it,” Ciela said. She conjured up Mipha's usual breakfast and then flew over and hovered above the bed. “I see the mystery guy is still coming in to sleep at night? How's that going?”

“It is going fine, thank you.” Mipha sat down at the table. “He has yet to do anything to bother me, and I think I am growing accustomed to his presence. Also...” Her gaze darted out into the hallway, and then back at Ciela. “I was able to ask him a few things last night.”

“What? You _talked_ to him?” Ciela zipped back over. “Really? What did you ask? What did he say?”

“He did not say a word.” Mipha frowned. “Whether it is because he is ensorcelled to silence like Ravio or simply cannot speak at all I don't know, but I was only able to ask him simple questions which he answered by squeezing my hand to indicate yes or no.”

“Huh. That's actually a good idea.” Ciela flapped her wings a little. “So what questions did you ask him? Anything juicy?”

Mipha nearly choked on her food trying not to laugh; she waited until she'd successfully swallowed the bite of fish to answer. “I don't think anything you'd define as 'juicy' could be answered with a simple yes or no.”

“That just shows your lack of imagination. I bet there's tons of questions that would have interesting or racy answers that would be either yes or no.”

“None of which I'm about to ask him.” Mipha felt her face heat up. “Be _practical_ , Ciela. This is not a—a dating show on TV. It's a very strange situation that I am trying to puzzle out with the limited information I have.”

“Aw, I love those dating shows, though. They're so _stupid_.” Her voice held more than a little fondness, which made Mipha almost laugh again. “Anyway, we've gotten off the point a bit. What stuff _did_ you ask him?”

“Well, first of all, I asked if he meant me any harm. Seems the most obvious thing to inquire about, no?” She ate some more fish. “He seemed very adamant about that not being his intention, if the swiftness with which he squeezed my hand is any indication.”

“I guess that makes sense, given that he likes to tempt fate by sleeping so close to the edge of the bed that he's liable to fall off.” Ciela landed on the table near Mipha's plate. “What else?”

“I asked him next if he had a reason for doing this—yes—and if he had a choice about it. Which he doesn't.” Mipha polished off the last of the fish. “Next I asked if I could see him, and that got a very quick no. I suppose that does explain why the technology in here fails at night, though it still doesn't explain how.”

“Probably just some kind of weird magic. Who cares?” Ciela followed Mipha to the bathroom as she went to go wash her hands. “Was there anything else you asked?”

“Yes, I asked if I could trust him.” Mipha finished drying her hands and headed back to her room to pick a shawl from the armoire. “He hesitated for a second, and then squeezed my hand once for yes.”

“Huh? That's—ooh, I bet that blue one would look really good on you—that's weird. Any idea what that meant?”

“Not until I woke up a little while ago.” Mipha wrapped the blue one in question around her shoulders and headed out the bedroom door. “He left me a note explaining it, saying that he hopes I can trust him, but that the decision has to be made by me, not him, and he's leaving it up to me.”

“Oh. Huh. That's a really good answer, actually.”

“I thought so too.” Mipha opened one of the doors that led to a bedroom further down the hall and went inside. “Putting that together with everything else, I think that I do trust him, when all is said and done.” It didn't look that different in here from when she'd first entered, back on her second day at the manor. But maybe there was a secret hiding somewhere, that she'd missed before.

“Yeah, I was gonna say something about that, he seems like he's a good guy.” Ciela paused just inside the door. “Um. Mipha? Not to change the subject, but... why are we in here?”

“I am very curious about something, Ciela.” Mipha walked over to a shelf laden with dusty old books. Most of them were in Hylian script, but a few were in Sheikah writing, and there were even a few in languages she didn't recognize. She began to pull them out one by one, pushing them back in when nothing happened. “Namely, where it is that he disappears to during the day. I have been, I think, to every room in this house, and have never seen anyone but you fairies, Yeto and Yeta, and of course Ravio. No one that could fit a description of this man in my bed, were I asked for one.”

“Oh?” Ciela flew over to the window. “I didn't know you knew enough about his appearance to be able to describe him...”

“It isn't that much, really.” Mipha shrugged. “I know from reaching out in the dark that first night that he has long hair and pointed ears, which makes his race Hylian or Sheikah. And when I saw his silhouette last night—”

“Wait, hold up, _what?_ ” Ciela bobbed up and down. “You didn't mention that part earlier! What exactly did you see?”

“Not a whole lot, unfortunately.” She abandoned the bookshelf and walked over to the imposing armoire. “A flash of light that could only have been his magic activating to shroud the room in darkness, and it only showed me what I think was his silhouette, for he was hanging back behind the door. If I truly did see what I think I saw, then he is on the short side, only slightly taller than I am.”

“And you're not that much bigger than me...”

“Oh, Ciela, you're exaggerating!” Mipha laughed. This armoire lacked any clothing whatsoever; just a bunch of empty wooden hangers that rattled when she moved them. Pushing on the back of the armoire also turned up no results; she sighed. “In any case, I haven't seen anyone around that could possibly fit that description, and as I have been all over the manor multiple times by now, I can only conclude that he must be holed up in some secret place that I cannot reach by ordinary methods. Hence I am now searching for any secret passageways.”

“In a house this big? Good luck with that.” Ciela laughed. “Are you sure he's not just vanishing off somewhere? Maybe he really is some kind of spirit...”

“Spirits don't have heartbeats, remember? And I definitely felt his that night. I told you about this.” Rubbing her forehead, Mipha sighed and closed up the armoire. Her eyes fell on a nearby sconce mounted into the wall beside the doors. “He's no Poe.”

“Right, right, I do remember you telling me you groped him...”

“I wasn't _groping_ him!” Mipha's face burned. “ _Really_ , Ciela! You'd told me just that day that this place could be haunted, so I had to make sure he wasn't a Poe coming in to share my bed. So I merely laid my hand on his chest to check for a heartbeat, and I felt one, so I then removed my hand. That's all.” She tried to pull on the sconce, but to no avail. There was one more on the other side of the door to try, but she didn't feel too optimistic.

“I'm just teasing you a little, relax!” She flew over to hover by Mipha's shoulder. “So I guess you're testing all this stuff in the room in hopes that a real secret passage will be revealed like the ones in the movies?”

“I admit it isn't the best plan, but it _is_ a starting point.” Mipha let go of the second sconce, which wasn't budging either. She cast a thorough look around the room. Nothing else stood out to her as something that could be used to trigger the appearance of a hidden door. “Besides, you never know if whoever built this house was inspired by such things.”

“True, true.” Ciela followed as Mipha left the room and headed to the next bedroom down the hall. “So what's your plan, then? Inspect every room in the house till you find this supposed secret passage? That could take _forever_...”

“What else am I to do?” Mipha couldn't quite keep the bitter frustration from leaking into her voice. “All this snow keeps me from being able to go outdoors the way I long to, and I am becoming restless. I cannot simply sit around and read or watch television all day, every day. If I could just go swimming somewhere, that alone would do wonders for my state of mind.”

“Well...” Ciela's voice sounded doubtful. “There _is_ some water nearby, a river that empties out into a waterfall not far from the village, but... it might be frozen this time of year, or at the very least is so cold that even Yeto's elixirs wouldn't do that much to help. I wouldn't recommend it. Unless you like ice skating.”

“I've never tried,” Mipha said quietly. “Even if I liked being around ice, most companies don't make skates designed for Zora feet except on special order, because there isn't enough demand for them to justify regularly producing them. As I found out the hard way once.”

“The hard way? What do you mean?”

“I was...” Mipha sighed. “When I was fourteen, a girl in one of my classes invited me to her birthday party at an ice skating rink. She had never been very friendly to me before, so I thought she'd invited me as a way to try and reach out. Until I got there, however, and found out that the rink owners didn't keep any special Zora skates on hand... leaving me to sit on the sidelines watching, while she and her friends laughed.”

“Whaaaaat? Okay, that's one of the most messed up things I've ever heard!” Ciela glowed brighter, looking almost white-hot in her fury. “What did you do? I hope you told them off!”

“No.” She knelt down and peered under the dusty bed. “I went in the bathroom and cried, and then called a friend, and he and his father picked me up. I couldn't bear to go back home and explain what had happened just yet, so my friend was more than happy to take me back to his house and comfort me.”

_I felt like such a fool for believing that that girl could've had good intentions. But Link told me it wasn't my fault, that they were the monsters for taking advantage of someone as sweet-natured as I am, he said. He was so angry at them all for hurting me, but he didn't want me to blame myself, much as I tried. He insisted that the fault was entirely theirs, and I'd done nothing wrong. And, being the wonderful person that he was, he also insisted on making me a special meal for dinner, since I wasn't getting one at the party. When I told him his cooking was much better than anything they'd serve at that rink anyway, he turned bright red. It was adorable._

“Well, I'm glad you had such a good friend, at least. I wish I'd been there, though, I would've given them a piece of my mind for you.” Ciela sighed. “Why didn't you?”

“Because I've never been very good at speaking up for myself.” Mipha tried the sconces in this room. Nothing. “I am not a very brave person when it comes to things like that... I have a hard enough time just making conversation if I do not know a person well. Besides, until a few years ago, I always had my dear friend to stand up for me, so I did not really have to learn for a long time. I am still learning, in fact.” _Would you be proud of me, Link, for what I said to Ingo that day when he fired me? I like to think you would be._

“Oh, is that the friend you mentioned on your first day here? The Hylian guy who moved away and you lost touch with?”

“Yes.” Mipha headed down the hall to the next room. "His name was—is—Link." When was the last time she'd said his name aloud? She'd told Impa and Zelda about him ages ago, but hadn't talked about him since, and neither of them were aware that she still had lingering feelings for him. Her father had long since stopped asking about him too, recognizing the pain it caused her, and Sidon had been too young when he moved away to really remember him now. And of course it had been so long since she'd spoken it directly to him. Just saying it now brought a familiar ache to her heart. 

"That's a nice name." 

"Yes, I always thought so too." Mipha paused in front of the armoire, staring at it but not really seeing it. "We met when we were four years old, and had twelve wonderful years of friendship.” _Thirteen if you count the year or so we kept in touch after he moved away. I don't know if I do, honestly—while everything he said in his letters, texts, and phone calls sounded so warm and sincere, it is hard to believe that they truly were, given how abruptly he just... stopped sending them._

“Wow, that's a long time.” Ciela disappeared under a lamp shade; the lamp shook a little, and briefly lit up, but then went back out. "Is he the one in that photo you keep by your bed?" 

"You... noticed that?" Mipha busied herself pushing against the back wall of this room's armoire, in an effort to conceal her face. 

"Um... duh? Anyone that goes in your room has _gotta_ notice it, it's not like you keep it a secret. It's... right there, you know?" 

"Yes, I suppose it is..." _Which means that_ he _likely saw it, for his note was right atop it. How awkward, to have him know that about me._ "And yes... that is Link in the photo. It was taken the last summer we had together. All my other photos of him are in boxes at my father's house, but I found this one when I moved into a little house with my friend Impa, a few days before I met Ravio." 

"And you... brought it with you all the way here?" Ciela's tone was unreadable, but Mipha found herself internally squirming all the same. 

"Yes. I... like to look at it and remember happier times with him. No matter how painful." Every night before bed, in fact; it had become her habit to gaze at Link's smiling face before turning out the light, so that it would be the last image in her brain before she went to sleep.

"Or do you just like to look at _him?_ " Now there was definitely a hint of teasing in her voice. "He _is_ pretty cute. Not gonna judge." 

"I... yes." She sat down inside the armoire, blushing and not bothering to hide it. "That too. I cannot deny that he grew up to be so very handsome... I always thought he had such beautiful eyes, and lovely hair, and such a sweet smile too. Whenever he directed it at me, I always felt like... like everything was right in the world and would be okay. I wanted to do everything I could to keep seeing him smile, because it meant that he was happy, and that was so very important to me. I wanted that more than anything else." 

"He must've been pretty special, then, for you to care about him like that." 

"Oh, he was. Very much so." Mipha's heart swelled. "He was honestly the most wonderful person I've ever met. So kind and sweet, with the biggest and most loving heart. He always wanted to help those who needed it, because he had so much compassion in him. He could be reckless, too, and sometimes did such silly things, but above all he always meant well. Usually that recklessness came from trying to protect me." She sighed. "I hated seeing him get hurt, especially on my account, but I patched him up anyway every time. He was so determined to keep me safe, and he hated anyone who tried to hurt me." 

"Oh wow, that's..." Ciela sighed dreamily. "Straight out of a fairy tale or something. The princess and her loyal knight..." 

Mipha couldn't help but laugh. "How fanciful of you. I am no princess, I'm afraid." 

"I'm sure you were to him," Ciela said slyly. "What with the way he'd clearly appointed himself your knight in shining armor and all." 

"Oh no, Ciela, really... it wasn't like that." She shook her head, a familiar sinking feeling coming into her heart. "He didn't think of me that way at all, I'm sure of it. We were best friends, and that was why he looked out for me like that. Nothing romantic in the slightest on his part." 

"Okay, first of all... unless he flat out told you that, you shouldn't be assuming his feelings. Second..." She flew up next to Mipha's face. "It sounds like there were definitely romantic feelings on _your_ part. Am I right?" 

“... Yes. There were.” Mipha let her breath out and leaned her head against the armoire. It was the first time she'd actually admitted it to anyone. She'd stubbornly denied it to her high school friends, ignored all her father's attempts at drawing her out, and just flat out not said anything to Impa and Zelda when she'd told them about him. And obviously she had _never_ told Link himself, and most likely never would. “There still are. I had—have, I suppose I should say—quite the crush on him. It would have been hard not to notice him like that, of course, when he looked like that. But... it was also so much more than just that.” She closed her eyes. “I would always get so excited whenever I was going to see him, every time he spoke to me. And when we were apart, he occupied so many of my thoughts it was sometimes quite embarrassing, when others would catch me daydreaming about him. Oh, but just seeing him was always the best part of the day, no day could truly be bad when he was in it.” Mipha smiled to herself and sighed. “He made everything brighter...”

“Dang, you're not kidding, I guess...” Ciela sounded faintly amazed. “Even your voice sounds different when you talk about him like that...”

“Does it?” Mipha opened her eyes, tilting her head slightly. “My high school friend Gaddison—another Zora like me—would tease me about how I had a different voice for when I talked about him, or to him. I suppose she was right, after all...”

“Well, I don't know what she was hearing, but I'm definitely hearing something too. You have it _bad_ for him.”

“If you met him, you'd understand.” Mipha let out another sigh. “He... oh, it was the oddest thing, Ciela, it truly was. Being around him could make me so nervous, but at times it could also be so calming. If I was ever unhappy, all I had to do was go to him, and his mere presence would soothe me. I felt like I could truly be myself around him, in a way I didn't with anyone else. We knew each other so well, and whenever we spent time together, no matter where we were, I always felt like I was at home, because he was there.” A lump grew in her throat. “I still think about him so often, wondering what he's doing and what could have happened if he hadn't moved away... that crush never went away, I don't think.”

“... Hey, Mipha? I'm gonna say something, and I don't know if you're gonna wanna hear it. Permission to proceed?”

“What?” Mipha frowned up at her. “If you're going to say that it's unproductive to let my thoughts linger on him so much still, believe me, I already know.”

"No, it isn't that, it's...” She bobbed up and down nervously. “The way you talk about him, all the stuff you're describing, how you _still_ think about him that way... are you sure it was really just a crush?" She sounded doubtful. "I mean, I'm no expert, but it doesn't seem to me like a mere crush would linger on for years like this..." 

A sort of blankness descended on her, punctuated only by a sound she dimly realized was her own heart pounding. The truth she'd been denying for so _very_ long edged dangerously close, like a light she wanted to run and hide in the darkness from. When she found her voice again, it sounded miles away. "Ciela, I..." Mipha struggled to breathe under the weight of the realization pressing down on her chest. "... No." She shook her head. "No... I cannot think about that..." 

"I'm sorry, but you have to," she said apologetically. "If you're ever going to really deal with it, you kind of have to face it head on, instead of staying in denial." 

"If..." She pressed a shaking hand to her mouth. "If I let myself think that I... that I loved him... that I love him still... how on earth am I meant to recover from that? He is so far from me, Ciela, and he has forgotten me. And even that has not destroyed my feelings. What am I supposed to do with the knowledge that they are so much deeper than I let myself believe all these years?" Her shoulders shook as the tears began to fall freely. "It is too much to bear..." 

“Okay, again, I'm not an expert on this, but I feel like the whole thing where you haven't let yourself admit your true feelings to yourself could be part of what's been gumming up your emotional works?” Ciela flew around a little bit. “If you can't be honest with yourself about how you feel, then you can never deal with those feelings.”

“Ciela, you don't... you don't understand...” Mipha took several shallow breaths. “When he left... when he stopped writing and calling me, it... it was not easy, at all, to deal with the pain that that caused me. But it would have been so much harder if I had ever thought that I was in love with him...”

“Maybe at first, yeah, but don't you think it also might have made it possible for you to move on?” she persisted. “Again, I don't think you could do that because you didn't let yourself acknowledge what the truth was. Is. Not that I'm telling you what to do, just... kinda theorizing here, you know?”

“It doesn't matter.” Mipha shook her head. “It doesn't matter what the truth is. Because I cannot get over him either way.” She buried her face in her hands. “Link was my _best friend_. Ever since we were children, we were best friends. We spent so many years of our lives caring for each other, and I...” She let out a muffled sob. “I fell in love with him. I did. You're right about that. I don't know how I was supposed to do anything else, and I don't know how anyone can expect me to get over it.” She lowered her hands, and turned her tear-filled gaze on Ciela. “Tell me how. _Please_. I cannot imagine how I am meant to let go of feelings I have held within my heart for so long, for someone who has been important to me all my life. Please help me...”

“I can't. I'm sorry.” Ciela moved from side to side as if shaking her head. “I told you, I'm no expert on this stuff. I don't have any advice for you...”

“Then why make me acknowledge my true feelings?” Mipha whispered brokenly. “How on earth was this meant to help me? It does me no good to know that I am in love with a man that no longer cares about me the way he once did.”

“You don't know that.” She bobbed up and down again. “You don't know why he stopped contacting you, right? And it's not like you can read his mind. For all you know he's out there somewhere still wanting to see you again.”

“Don't—” Mipha sucked her breath in sharply. “Don't you _dare_ give me false hope. How can you be so cruel?”

“Mipha, I'm not—“ Ciela sounded shocked and hurt. “I would never try to hurt you, I swear, I just—I'm trying to think of the possibilities here, it doesn't make sense that he'd care about you so much and then just... disappear like that...”

“No. It doesn't. But he still did.” Mipha looked down. “He abandoned me, Ciela—he promised me that he would never stop being my friend, that we would always stay in touch, and he _broke_ those promises, and my heart in the process. I don't know what I did wrong to cause him to turn away like that, but the fact remains that he did. And yet I cannot stop loving him, because my heart insists on clinging to the memories of all those happy years...” 

“No, Mipha, don't blame yourself!” Ciela exclaimed. “There's no way you did anything wrong! But... there's also gotta be a good explanation, you know? People don't just suddenly stop caring about each other like that, especially after so many years. I bet he—”

“Enough, please.” Mipha hugged her knees to herself and sighed. “I do not wish to hear any more of this. Will you please just leave me alone for now?”

“... Yeah, sure.” Ciela's light seemed to flicker and dim. “I'm sorry, Mipha...”

She flew out of the room before Mipha could answer; as soon as Ciela was gone, Mipha began to cry again, doing her best to muffle the sounds so that no one else's attention would be drawn. It would have been smarter, she supposed, to go to her own room and lock the doors, but she simply didn't have the energy for that at the moment. So instead she curled into a ball on the bottom of the armoire and wept.

* * *

When dinner finally rolled around, Mipha still felt nowhere near ready to face anyone, but she got up and went to join Ravio anyway. She didn't want to worry him or hurt his feelings by not showing up, so she made her best efforts at answering the questions he asked her before the meal arrived, though they admittedly weren't much. They both fell into silence, then, as she struggled to eat her food despite the unhappiness churning in her stomach.

“Mipha?” Ravio's voice startled her into nearly dropping her spoon. “You're so quiet tonight. Is everything okay?”

“I...” She stared down at her half-eaten bowl of seafood risotto. Another dish that reminded her of Link. He'd first made this for her when they were fifteen, following a recipe in a library book that he'd anxiously protected from damage while standing and stirring, carefully ladling the hot stock in at just the right times. She'd been in charge of playing music for them both to listen to, occasionally mixing in silly songs to make him laugh. What a warm, wonderful laugh he had; she'd do anything to hear it again. His voice had always been her favorite sound in the whole world, and she prayed she would never forget it. “I'm sorry. I don't quite know how to answer.”

“Do you just not want to talk about it? I understand if that's the case. But if I can help you with it, please let me know. We did agree to look after each other,” he reminded her.

“No, not exactly, just...” Mipha set her spoon down. “I don't think it's anything you can help with, and I don't want you to feel bad if I tell you about it.”

“You can just vent, if that's what you really need,” Ravio suggested. “Sometimes that helps in its own way, you know?”

 _Oh, Nayru preserve me from all these reminders of Link! He used to say something similar when I had a bad day and just needed someone to listen to me. Today of all days I cannot bear any more of this._ “Well... I suppose you have a point.” She sighed. “The thing is—and please do not take this as a rejection of your hospitality—I have been growing so restless lately. The manor is wonderful, of course, and I do so enjoy the library and the conservatory in particular. But I have been feeling the need of late to get outdoors, and that is so hard in a climate such as this. I need to swim somewhere, I don't think I need to explain why.” Mipha gestured at herself with a weak laugh. “I cannot in all this snow, though, and it is rather hard on me. I'm sorry. I don't mean to complain so much.”

“No, it's fine.” He shook his head. “I've been meaning to ask you about that anyway, I know you have that huge tub, but it can't be enough for you. I was planning on surprising you by having an indoor pool built, but construction keeps getting delayed because of the weather.” He sighed. “In the meantime, maybe I could take you on a little field trip tomorrow?”

“A field trip?” Her eyes widened. “To where?”

“Partway down this mountain, on the path that leads to the village, is a cave—well, a tunnel, really—that empties out at a secluded hot spring. It's probably not what you had in mind, but it _is_ deep enough to do some swimming in, and at the very least it would get you out of here.”

“No, I...” Mipha stared wonderingly at him. “That would be incredible, I'd love that. You'd be okay with taking me?”

“It's something that'll make you happy, so yeah, of course I am.” He shifted slightly and looked up at her. “I'm glad you told me, so that I could help you out. Please don't ever be afraid to ask me for things, okay?”

“I will try.” Mipha managed a smile. “Thank you so much—” She stopped. _I almost called him Link! How embarrassing that would be!_ “Thank you.”

“You're welcome.”

_Of course I cannot tell him about what is really bothering me... but relieving my frustration at being cooped up inside like a penned cucco will be good, at least. I do need the escape, it was not a lie. Being able to swim, even in the waters of a hot spring, will be heavenly. And, hopefully, the distraction I need from what I was forced to realize today._

After she'd finished dinner, Mipha headed back to her room and drew another bath, her second today. She'd had one earlier, after a lunch she barely touched, and had dozed off in the warm water until late in the afternoon. This second one would, with any luck, help her to fall asleep as soon as she climbed into bed.

It was not to be, though. Long after she'd turned the light off, Mipha found herself staring up at the shadowed ceiling, mind still whirling with unhappy thoughts. Here in the dark there were no distractions to be found, and even the ones she'd tried today hadn't worked. Her brain still kept coming back to the revelation that she'd been presented with, the one that had upended so much and threatened to shatter her all over again.

_I love him._

_I have loved him for years. How did I never realize until today at Ciela's prodding? I know she meant well, but all it served was to deepen the wound I have been nursing in my heart since he left. It would be easy to pretend that his sudden silence was the beginning of that injury, but that too would be a lie. Being so far away from him was a wrenching pain in itself that no amount of letters or phone calls could ever have eased. We had never gone very long without seeing each other, after all, in all the years since we met, and it had always been with the knowledge that each parting was only temporary. So to be permanently separated like that was beyond devastating. And I know it was for him too, at least at first. Whatever caused him to cut off communication with me, it wasn't present in him before he left. Link changed instantly after he heard the news. All the light went out of his eyes, his face, and I don't think I ever saw him genuinely smile again. He even told me that he would never forgive his father for taking the job that would separate us. I tried to tell him that he should try, but he was adamant. Which wasn't surprising, he was always so stubborn, but it made my heart ache all the same._

_Oh, Link. How am I meant to reconcile memories like that with your actions? Ciela was right, it truly doesn't make sense that you would abruptly stop caring about me. But what other explanation is there? I refuse to entertain the grimmest possibility, for I have to believe you are still out there somewhere, safe and sound. I could not handle anything else. I just... I wish I knew so much more than I do. I need to know that you are alive, that you are okay, why you did what you did. Nayru help me, I am starting to reconsider the idea of seeking you out when all this is over and I can leave this manor to go find you. If nothing else, my heart needs the closure._

_I still do not understand how I didn't realize it till now. But even more than that, I cannot pinpoint where it started in the first place. I feel like that must be hard for anyone, but in our case it is all but impossible. All those years of friendship and support and caring, how am I to unravel them and find the precise spot where platonic love shapeshifted into romantic love? I look back at all the years, and it all appears seamless. It happened like a thief in the night, I suppose, with me none the wiser until today of what had occurred. Perhaps it was self-preservation that led me to pass it off as nothing more than a little crush: first from the terrifying thought of risking our friendship should my feelings be made known to you, and then as a defense against deeper pain when I learned you would be leaving me. I have suffered, and will continue to suffer, either way though. I cannot tell if Ciela means for me to try to get over Link, or to hold out hope that he still cares, but the end result will be the same. There is no getting past this, at least not until I have seen him again and have answers._

Mipha sighed deeply, and laid her hand over her damp eyes. Only a few tears had managed to trickle out, much less than earlier; maybe she was finally all cried out for the day. That would be good. She was so tired, after all, and needed to sleep at least some of this misery off. The pain of unrequited love would still be plaguing her heart in the morning, but at least she would have the distraction of getting out of the house. Even if it _was_ with someone who reminded her so painfully of Link. 

_Wait, that is a horrid thought._ Mipha winced. _It is not Ravio's fault he is so similar to Link. I should not resent him for it. And I don't, truly. I just find it hard to take sometimes. But that is, again, not his fault and I should work harder to separate the two of them in my mind. Just for my own peace, small though it may be. Not to mention the fact that this isn't fair to Ravio at all. Oh, what is_ wrong _with me?_

Mipha was so busy internally chastising herself that she barely heard the door to her room open. She did notice the sound of it closing, though, and pulled her hand away from her eyes. Sure enough, everything was pitch-black again, as always. Footsteps came closer to the bed, and she felt the mattress shift under the man's weight as he climbed in. Mipha counted slowly to ten, taking deep breaths to try and steady her voice in case it still sounded wobbly, and then spoke. “I will trust you for now.”

No words came from the other side of the bed, but that was fine. She really hadn't expected any, after all. Mipha sighed again, and rolled over onto her side, her back to him. That note she'd considered writing this morning hadn't happened, but maybe it was for the best, as he knew now instead of in the morning. She could always write him something some other time. Right now, it was hard to be overly concerned, given what occupied the bulk of her thoughts.

_I wish it were you beside me, Link. In a different world, perhaps it could have been. Maybe there is one out there where you and I both fell in love, instead of me being left to experience these feelings all on my own, and we wake up next to each other every morning, happy together. But that world is not this one, and I can never have what I want. I can never have you. Perhaps that is another reason I have such a hard time considering what I want for myself, because I know that what I want most has already been lost to me, and I am afraid to hope for anything else because the pain of that loss has been so great._

_I love you, Link. No matter how much I wish I could stop, I still do. I love you, and I can no longer deny it to myself. For better or worse, this is the knowledge I must live with, as surely as I am living my life without you in it._

_Maybe someday I'll be able to tell you._


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad you all enjoyed last week's dose of pain! Here's some more, let me know with your lovely comments what you think! <3 As always, I treasure them all!

Mipha took a long, slow breath and let it out. 

It was morning once again, and she felt no better about what she'd realized yesterday than she had when she'd fallen asleep. A sort of numbness had descended over her, which she might once have mistaken for better; now, older and more experienced, she knew it wasn't. It was only a temporary relief from the sharp pain that had tormented her so the day before. Worse, since this was a new wrinkle in her suffering, she really didn't know how it would play out from here. She'd lost loved ones before, yes, but this was different. Never before had she missed someone she was _in_ love with. And since Link was the only person she'd ever been in love with, realizing long after he was out of her life that she felt that way about him was something entirely unprecedented for her.

And she hated it. Deep inside, a part of her wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. Somehow, this all seemed to start with Link moving away, and she suddenly understood in her own way why he'd been so angry with his father for taking that job so far away. Or maybe she was just angry with the man for her own reasons. If that hadn't happened, how different would their lives be? Her own father would still have fallen on hard times, but at least Link would've been there to support her, and he wouldn't have grown apart from her. It was common knowledge that long-distance relationships were almost impossible to maintain, and while people generally reserved that sentiment for romantic ones, it seemed to hold true for friendships as well. If he'd stayed close by, they wouldn't have been faced with that problem, and maybe she need not have been plagued by the unique heartache of unrequited love. They could have been—

_… oh, what am I saying? What am I thinking? This... this is such an unbelievably selfish and foolish line of thought. For one, I cannot assume that Link would have fallen in love with me had he stayed. That is frankly ridiculous. Just because we were best friends doesn't mean his feelings were always going to be identical to mine. I could very well have ruined everything and lost him anyway had I told him how I felt. He never asked anyone else out, that much is true, but that doesn't mean he wanted to ask_ me _out. I very much doubt I was ever his type; he most likely preferred Hylian girls, as most Hylian men do, and simply never told me about anyone he was attracted to. It is just outright stupid to pretend I would ever have been considered as a romantic option. I do believe we would have remained friends, but I cannot imagine him feeling as I do. That was always hopeless, and it is sheer arrogance to think things could ever have been otherwise. I am ashamed to have even entertained the thought._

_But even more importantly than that, my father would still be struggling and overworking himself, likely to an eventual premature death. Sidon would still be facing an uncertain future, as would I. Impa would be in a poor situation as well. With my life taking the path it has after Link's departure, I have now been able to help them in a way I don't know if I could've otherwise. And that is so much more important than my own romantic happiness, even if that could ever have been achieved. No, things are better for those I care about this way, and it is wrong and self-centered of me to mope about like this and wish for a change that would only benefit myself. I must pull myself together and focus on what I can do for those around me, instead of wallowing in my own pain. It will continue to hurt, of course, but I can and must deal with it as best I can._

Shaking her head, Mipha sat up and brushed the sleep out of her eyes. Something made her glance at her nightstand table, and her heart flipped as she saw another note there. Unfolding it revealed a simple message: _Thank you._ What had she—oh, right. She'd told him she would trust him for now. Mipha read the words again and frowned. Was it her imagination, or was there something vaguely familiar about his handwriting? She pulled the other note out of the drawer to compare. Seen in the light of a brighter day, there was indeed something that nagged at her about it. It was impossible to say exactly what it was, though, and after a few minutes she put them both back in the drawer.

Checking the time on her phone revealed that she had a little while left before Ciela would get here with breakfast. Mipha rose and hurried over to the desk. She hadn't had cause to actually use anything here yet, but this was a good reason. Picking up a pen and paper, she sat down and began to write.

_You are welcome, of course, and I feel I should say that it is your own actions that have won my trust so far. Which is something I would like to address—I feel no small amount of concern for the fact that you have continually chosen to sleep so close to the edge of the bed. I understand that this is out of your desire to minimize my discomfort, and I do appreciate that, but now that I know a little bit about you I would like to extend my trust further and ask you to sleep farther away from the edge. I worry, after all, that you might fall out and injure yourself one unlucky night, and I would hate to see that happen. So please, take better care of yourself and stop risking that._

_Additionally, while I do not know what it is that keeps you from speaking aloud to me, and I will not try again to pressure you into doing so, I cannot help but wish that it was possible for us to hold a real conversation. I think that would make this so much easier for the both of us. You seem to be aware of how disquieting a situation this has been for me, and I am now aware, I think, of how uncomfortable it must be for you as well. If we could have the pleasure of speaking freely and opening our hearts to one another, it would much improve matters, I believe; for we are both trapped in an odd set of circumstances and have much to gain by forging some sort of connection in the midst of it. Perhaps we could continue to exchange the occasional note like this? If you're not averse to communicating with me, that is. I will leave that up to you._

Satisfied, Mipha folded the note up. Now, where to leave it? She wanted to be sure he saw it before he fell asleep, but his habit of making everything pitch-black when he entered meant he likely wouldn't be able to read it till morning. That presented a problem, because what if tonight was the night he finally fell off the bed and hurt himself, not having seen her request until it was too late? _Maybe I will ask Ciela when she shows up._

She carried the note with her as she opened the doors, and set it down on the table as she sat and waited. Worry began to gnaw at her as the time ticked on by and Ciela still didn't show up. Just as Mipha was about to go look for her, though, the little fairy appeared at the door, hovering in the hall. “Um. Morning, Mipha...”

“Ciela?” Mipha frowned. “Are you feeling alright?”

“Oh, don't do that, that's what I should be asking _you_.” She made an unhappy noise. “Mipha, I'm so sorry about yesterday, I really am... I didn't mean to make you so upset, that's the last thing I wanted...”

“I realize that. But then...” She instinctively wanted to look away, but she forced herself to look steadily back at her. “That begs the question... what _did_ you want?”

“I... I wanted to help.” Ciela bobbed up and down nervously. “I thought... somehow... that if you were honest about what your feelings for Link really are, that could help you deal with them somehow. You seemed so unhappy, and I hate seeing people I care about be unhappy. I didn't think it would make you feel worse, I swear...”

“Then... you are guilty of nothing more serious than naivete and a simple desire to help, however misguided.” Mipha sighed. “I forgive you, Ciela. I know you did not mean to cause me harm. And if it will ease your heart, then I want you to know that at the very least you have helped me come to a very important decision.”

“Really?” She flew forward a little ways. “What's that?”

“I have chosen to focus all my efforts on what I am doing here and now: trying to help Ravio in any way I can, and unraveling the mystery of my bespelled nightly visitor. It would be immensely selfish and short-sighted to let myself be distracted by my own problems, after all, when my purpose in being here is to provide assistance for others.” Now she did look down, ashamed of her earlier private thoughts. “However, when I am done, I intend to take the money that Ravio has gifted me with and use some of it to seek Link out, so that I may at least have closure. Until I have seen him again and spoken to him, I cannot get past my feelings for him.”

“... That makes sense, yeah.” Ciela flew over to the table and summoned up Mipha's breakfast. “I like that idea, yeah. You should definitely talk to him, and be honest about how you feel. That's the only way to find out for sure how _he_ feels.”

“I can guess at how he feels, and it isn't the same way I do.” Mipha sighed again. “I am not sure I wish to be completely honest with him about my emotions, I fail to see what that would accomplish when he almost certainly doesn't hold such tender thoughts for me in return.” 

“You never know until you try...”

“Don't, Ciela,” Mipha said tiredly. “Please don't. It will be hard enough keeping my expectations in check for this entire year without you saying things like that and getting my hopes up.”

“... Sorry.” Ciela seemed to droop and dim again. “I'm not very good at this 'cheering people up' thing...”

“It's fine.” She ate some of her fish. “I do appreciate that you are trying, and where it comes from, I simply do not wish for that method to be attempted on me. Now you know, and we can proceed.”

“I guess, yeah.” Ciela sighed too. “Oh, I almost forgot...” Her wings fluttered, and a bottle filled with a familiar red liquid appeared on the table. “Yeto said that you're going outside somewhere with Ravio today and that I was supposed to bring this with your food.”

“That's right, we are.” Mipha managed a small smile, her mood lifting slightly at the reminder of their plans. “At dinner last night I told him about how restless I've been at being cooped up indoors and being unable to swim, and he offered to take me to a nearby hot springs today.”

“Oooh, that sounds like fun! I'm glad you're gonna get out of here and do something new!” She flew low, just above the note Mipha had written. “Oh hey, what's this? Another note from mystery guy?”

“No, it is a note I wrote to him.” Mipha wiped her mouth as she polished off the fish. “I was going to ask you about that, actually. I wish to leave it where he can read it before he goes to sleep, but the darkness he conjures in here would make that impossible. Where would you suggest I leave it?”

“Why not just tie it to the doorknob?” Ciela suggested. “That's what I'd do, since you know that's how he comes in and he doesn't make things dark until it's opened. I'll get you a ribbon or string or something while you're out having fun today, and leave it on the table for you.”

“That would be wonderful, Ciela, thank you.” Mipha smiled more genuinely this time.

Newly excited about her destination, Mipha wasted no time in washing her hands and pulling a shawl on. In her haste she almost forgot the elixir, but a reminder from Ciela pulled her back just as she started to leave the room without it. She cradled it carefully in her arms as she descended the stairs and made for the back of the house, where she and Ciela had waited for the repairman Robbie that one day. Ravio was waiting for her outside in the snow, as promised, and Mipha downed the elixir before stepping out, grimacing only slightly at its flavor.

“Good morning, Mipha,” he greeted her. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.” She closed the door behind herself and smiled up at him. “Very much so. Thank you again for this.”

“It's no problem, honestly.” He lowered himself down, the way he had the night he'd brought her here. “Go ahead, climb on.”

“Thank you.” 

Once Mipha had gotten herself settled, Ravio stood slowly and wheeled himself around. She swallowed. The road down to the village loomed ahead of them, and she couldn't help but be a little nervous looking at it. It'd been a while since it'd been properly plowed, and she could see clumps of snow and patches of ice glistening on it, not to mention piles of slush. Would they truly be safe traveling such a road?

As if sensing her unease, he turned his head to look back at her. “We'll be okay, Mipha, I promise. If I didn't think I could get you there safely, I'd tell you that we should wait for another day. But this road isn't as steep as it looks, and I'm not gonna slip. All the same, though, hold on as tightly as you feel like you need to, alright?”

“I—I will try.” Mipha reached forward and stroked the fur between his ears. “I just don't want to hurt you, you know that.”

“I do. But I promise, you won't. And like I told you the night I brought you here, I wouldn't care even if you did. Your safety is more important to me.”

“You are so kind,” Mipha whispered, her eyes burning. In her current state, whatever she had told herself about being strong and focusing on others instead of her own pain, it nevertheless stung to be treated with such caring, in that odd way that it often did in these situations. Not to mention it made her feel even guiltier for her internal frustration at Ravio's behavior mirroring Link's. It truly wasn't his fault, and if anything it just spoke to what a lovely person he was at heart, if he could remind her so much of her dear friend. He deserved better than how she'd been quietly reacting to him. “Thank you...”

_What I really need to do is to try and think differently of the fact that he reminds me so much of Link. Instead of letting it pain me, I should try and let it comfort me instead. He can never truly be a substitute for what I have lost, it's true, and it would be unfair to expect him to be. Yet, shouldn't it be possible to draw comfort from the fact that I am again being treated with such warmth and kindness? Should I not celebrate that I have found another friend, here in this strange place so far from everything I know? At the very least, I should make an attempt. Not just because he deserves better, but for my own peace of mind as well. Because he is right, I do need to learn how to look after myself better. I cannot always depend on others to do it for me._

“I told you, it's no problem. Don't worry about it.”

“I will try not to.” True to his word, the road to the village wasn't nearly as steep as the one that he'd brought her up when they first arrived. He showed no signs of his paws slipping in the snow and ice either, and bit by bit Mipha relaxed. As she eased her grip on his fur, she noticed that he once again had a small satchel hanging around his neck. “Ravio? What have you brought along this time?”

“Huh? Oh, I had Yeto wrap up some fish for you, in case we wind up staying long enough that you get hungry for lunch. Plus an extra elixir for the way home, and a towel to dry off with.”

Mipha's throat tightened. “How do you always think of everything?”

“I don't, trust me.” He laughed. “But when it comes to you, well... I did tell you that I'm going to look after you. So I'm just trying my best to do exactly that.”

“And you are doing a wonderful job.” She paused. “If... if you recall, I agreed to it on the condition that you would allow me to look after you in return.”

“Yeah, I remember that. What about it?”

“Well, the reason I wanted that is... it's...” She let her breath out in frustration. “I'm sorry, I need a moment to figure out what to say, I do not wish to come off badly and offend you...”

“Take your time.” He said it gently, but it was another pang in her heart, for Link had always said that whenever she struggled to express herself. “I can't imagine you saying anything mean-spirited anyway.”

“You might be surprised.” She laughed weakly. “You didn't hear what I said to my former boss when he fired me, the day we first met. I all but called him slimy.”

“... What did he do to deserve it?”

“He...” Mipha frowned down at herself. “He called my scales slimy... and it was not the first time he'd insulted me because of my Zora heritage. Since I no longer had to silently take it, I told him to reserve that word for his own behavior.”

At first she thought Ravio was silent. But then she heard a strange noise coming from him; with a start, she realized that it was a growl. “That was kinder than he deserved,” he said in a low snarl. “You should've said much worse. It would've been justified.”

“I...” Mipha stared down at him with wide eyes. She'd seen him get frustrated before, but never _angry_ like this. He was bristling all over, his hackles raised. “I am still... learning to stand up for myself, and I... I did my best...”

“... I'm sure you did.” He relaxed a little, but she could still feel the anger rolling off him in waves. “I'm sorry, I don't mean to put down what you did. That you stood up to him at all is good, and I'm glad. I just...” His voice dropped. “I hate that anyone treated you that way. You deserve better.”

“I won't say it's alright, because it has always hurt whenever someone makes those kinds of remarks. But I am well away from him, and that is good, at least.” Mipha stroked his fur, hoping to help calm him. “You came to me that night, right when I needed your offer most, and that has meant the world. As has your friendship. I would like to do whatever I can for you, in return.”

“Right, yeah...” He sighed. “You were going to tell me, or ask me, something about how you want to look after me in return?”

“Oh, yes, right... we did get a bit off-course.” Mipha let out a strained laugh. “What I was trying to say is that... the reason I requested that is because I have noticed that you seem to carry a great deal of sorrow within you, and it pains me to see it. I know you cannot tell me all that troubles you, but if you will tell me what you can, and how I may help, I would greatly appreciate it.”

“I'm not surprised you noticed,” he said quietly. “I've... been like this for a long time, unfortunately. Something happened a few years ago that broke my heart, and I've never recovered from it. That things went steadily downhill afterwards just made it worse. But being around you...” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “That helps.”

“Oh, Ravio...” Mipha's eyes burned with tears again. “I am so sorry... I had no idea...”

“You couldn't have. And it's not your fault, so don't worry about it.” He turned off the path, making his way towards an opening in the cliff wall that grew larger as they moved closer. “I appreciate that you care, though. You don't know how much that means to me.”

“You are my friend.” Mipha wiped at her eyes with the back of her hands. “Of course I do. If there's anything I can do to help you, please let me know. I want to do all I can for you. That is why I am here, after all.”

“I've told you this already, but just your being here is enough. Your kindness is enough. _You_ are enough.” He sighed. “Again, I wish I could tell you more so that you'd believe me.”

“No, no, don't say that.” She rubbed his fur again. “I believe you. I do. I admit I wish I knew more, but I trust you, so I believe what you say. None of this is your fault or your choice, you have made that clear. It only frustrates me on your behalf, because I know it pains you to have to stay silent on so much you want to say, and because I would have an easier time soothing your sorrows if I only knew the shape of them.”

_Even as I say that, though, I know I am keeping secrets of my own from you, and the guilt tears at me. Unlike you I am able to speak freely, and yet I stay silent about what is hurting me the most. Is it really true that I should avoid unburdening myself to you? I doubt you could ease my suffering any more than I can mend your broken heart, but maybe... maybe we should both give each other the chance to try. If nothing else, I think it would be a relief to confide in you as you have in me to the degree you are able. That we both care about each other enough to at least try to help is a small solace in itself. I think I shall try to gather up enough courage to do it._

“And it really does mean a lot to me that you want to help. But...” He sighed again. “Some things, there's no way to help with right now. All I can really ask is for you to keep trusting that your being here is enough. I know you want to do more, but...”

“Please don't feel guilty.” Mipha pulled her shawl more tightly around herself. “Please. You are clearly suffering enough, and the last thing I want is to add to it. If you say that my presence is enough, then I will accept that and do whatever I can within those bounds to look after you. Agreed?”

“... Yeah.”

They both fell silent then, as they moved through the cave that led to their destination. It was colder in there, and even with the elixir's protection swirling through her veins Mipha found herself shivering a little. Ravio responded by breaking into a trot, and she held onto him tightly as he carried her through the cavern as fast as was safe. Thankfully it wasn't very large, and before too long they emerged on the other side. A few snow-laden trees blocked their view, but as he weaved around them the promised hot spring came into view. Mipha gasped in delight. Steam rose from the gently bubbling waters, their color a pale shade of greenish blue, and best of all the pool appeared to be both wide and deep. Excitement skittered up her spine. “It looks wonderful...”

“I'm glad.” He halted at the edge of the water, and lowered himself to the ground. “Go on. I know you've been waiting for this.”

“Thank you!” Mipha climbed down carefully and removed her shawl; she folded it up and placed it on one of the rocks at the water's edge. It was tempting to just jump right in, but she knew better. Instead, Mipha eased herself slowly into the hot water, letting her body gradually adjust to the temperature. Once she had, it felt nothing short of heavenly. The deeper depths of the center beckoned to her, and before long she was swimming out to it, reveling in the feel of being able to do this at long last.

_It is not ideal, of course; I would prefer cooler waters in a more temperate climate. But what is ever ideal? This is more than I though I could have up here in the middle of the Tabantha Frontier, and I will gladly savor every moment of it. It feels like far too long since I got to indulge like this, to even be out of doors. What a gift, to have this moment._

Lost in the joy of swimming, Mipha stayed in the water for quite some time. She was vaguely aware of Ravio's presence, but he seemed content to just sit on the ground and wait quietly for her to be done. Indeed, 'content' seemed to be the perfect word to describe his expression when she stole a glance at him, trying to figure out if he was bored or asleep or impatient. His expression was none of those things. Instead, he looked pleased to see her enjoying herself so much. She smiled and waved at one point, and he lifted a paw slightly as if to wave back. It was rather adorable, actually. 

_I know most people wouldn't think to apply that word to a wolf, especially one so large as he is, but I think it fits, even if no one else does. And he is painfully aware of how physically imposing he is, which is another thing that saddens me. He often seems to be trying to shrink in on himself, to make himself appear smaller than he really is. Does he still worry about frightening me? I hope not. I can understand why his size might scare people at first, I know I was uneasy when I first saw him in our backyard, but that is where it ends. His personality and manner of speaking could not be any less intimidating. He is a gentle, kind soul, and it did not take me long to see that. Sometimes I even feel as though we have known each other longer than we really have, though perhaps some of that is his similarity to Link._

When at last she needed a break, Mipha waded back up to the water's edge and sat down on the rocks beside Ravio. Her feet dangled in the water, and she leaned back on her hands and sighed as she closed her eyes. The sun was out today, in a bright blue sky that matched Ravio's eyes, and it almost felt a little warm. Though that might have been the effects of the water too.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Hmm?” Mipha opened her eyes and looked over at him. “I feel fine, this is lovely.”

“No, I mean, better than last night,” he amended. “You seemed so upset at dinner.”

“Oh... yes...” Mipha averted her eyes. “This... yes, this is helping. Thank you.” She sat up straight, and then leaned forward to wash some stray gravel off her palms. 

“... Mipha?”

“Yes?” She glanced at him again, and instantly wished she hadn't—he had that _look_ in his eyes again, the one that was always there whenever he was about to pull out an eerily accurate insight about her. “Wh-what is it?”

“Nothing, really, I just...” He rested his head on his paws and continued to give her that piercing stare. “I feel like there's something else bothering you that wasn't just about being cooped up indoors for so long.”

“Um... well...” Mipha swallowed, her heart beating uncomfortably fast. _Do I tell him? I would like to, certainly, it truly would be a relief to confide in him. Yet anxiety grips me all the same. I must be brave, I must be brave..._

“Just say yes or no,” Ravio said gently. “You don't have to tell me anything more than that if you don't feel up to talking about it. But if you do, I don't mind listening.”

Mipha gazed back at him for a long time without speaking. “When you say things like that,” she managed finally, “You remind me so much of a friend I used to have.”

“... Oh?” Something changed in his eyes, but she couldn't tell what it was. “I do?”

“Yes.” Mipha looked down at her hands in her lap. “There are certain things you say that are reminiscent of things he would say to me. And even beyond that, you have some traits in common. You are both so kind, and you have about you a...” She gestured helplessly with one hand. “Some sort of quality that makes you both extraordinarily easy to talk to, even for someone like me. I have always been shy, you see, and I've never found it easy to talk to others, I usually prefer to remain quiet. But somehow he was always able to draw me out of my shell and set me at ease, in a way no one else ever has. You have some of that too.”

“I see.” He paused. “I'm... flattered to be compared to him, then. He sounds like he was pretty important to you.” 

"Oh, you have no idea," Mipha whispered, her eyes beginning to sting. "He... his name was Link. We grew up together, and were the best of friends. He meant the world to me, as I thought I did to him." She blinked back the tears. "But then, when we were sixteen, he moved far away, and over the course of the next year, his communication with me slowly stopped. I haven't heard from him in three years..."

“... That must have been so hard on you.” His voice dropped to barely above a whisper, and she saw him close his eyes. “I'm so sorry...”

“Don't be. It wasn't your fault.” She wiped at her eyes. “You are right, something else has been bothering me, and this is it. I told Ciela about Link yesterday when she asked me about him; I had referenced him in a story I told her about something that happened when I was fourteen, and somehow it just... spiraled.” She sighed. “I brought a photo of him with me when I came here, you see, and I keep it beside my bed to look at every night before I sleep, as mortifying as that is to admit. She asked me about it, and I confirmed it was him, and it just... went from there.”

One of Ravio's eyes opened. “You miss him that much after all these years that you brought that with you?”

“Of course I do.” Her voice shook. “He was my best friend. I've never stopped missing him. And not just that, I...” She took a deep breath. “For years now, I have been convinced that I had a crush on him. I found—find—him very attractive, for one thing, and he was such a wonderful person, so it seemed natural that I would develop a little crush on him.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “I was wrong, though.”

“... You were?”

“Yes.” Mipha nodded. “I told Ciela all about how he made me feel—like how excited I would be to see him every day, how often I thought about him when were apart, how I always felt at home around him, things like that—and she listened, and then pointed out that it didn't sound like just a crush. And she was right.” Her voice cracked. “I didn't just have a crush on him... I fell in love with him. I'm _still_ in love with him.”

Complete silence followed her words. Mipha plunged on, her eyes filling with fresh tears. “That is what was truly upsetting me last night, and I am sorry for the deception. It is just... even now, it is hard to talk about. I have been in denial about my true feelings for Link for years, and to suddenly be forced to confront the truth has been a shock I wasn't prepared to absorb. The pain I thought I was in before was nothing compared to what plagues me now that I know how deeply I love him. For I cannot let go, I still want to be with him. Oh, Nayru help me, I still want to be with him...” Mipha pressed one hand to her heart, the other covering her mouth to try and hold in her sobs as she struggled not to break down all over again. “I know it's foolish to still love someone who most likely stopped thinking about me years ago, to keep wondering what might have happened between us had he stayed, but I cannot help it. My heart clings to the memories of the beautiful days we had, to the feelings he awoke in me so long ago, and it won't release its grip. I don't think I can ever get over him. At least not until I've seen him again and found closure.” She closed her eyes, feeling the tears run hot over her cheeks. “I would do almost _anything_ to see him again...”

Her voice broke, and Mipha had to take a few minutes to try and regain control of herself. Through it all Ravio remained silent, a fact that only registered once she'd recovered a little. She turned, and found him staring blankly at her. No, not at her—he seemed to be looking past her, almost. Something flickered in his eyes, but she couldn't tell what it was; it almost seemed like he was trying to keep something buried beneath the surface that was threatening to burst out. Unease rose in her. “Are... are you alright? What's wrong?”

“I...” He looked right at her, his eyes focusing, and for a split second she thought she saw an anguished look flash in them, before they went blank again. Blank, and strangely bright. “I'm fine, I... I'm fine.”

“No, you aren't.” Mipha shook her head. “I can tell something is wrong. Please, tell me what it is... have I upset you?”

“No, I just...” His voice was rougher somehow, and less steady than usual. “I only... I hate seeing you upset, you know that...” He looked away from her. “Especially when I can't comfort you in any way... there's nothing I can say, and I can't...” He made a frustrated noise. “I can't even hug you... I'm sorry...”

“Don't. Please.” Mipha's voice hitched. “It isn't your fault, and I don't want you to feel bad. I only wanted you to listen, that's all. I'm not asking you to do anything else.”

_The truth is that I very much need someone to hold me right now. In a better world, that would be Link. But he isn't here, and there is no one at the manor capable of giving me the physical comfort I am so starved for. I don't want Ravio or anyone else to feel guilty, though, so I will simply have to deal with it as best I can. No matter how hard it gets._

“You...” He looked away from her. “You've been through so much, and I wish...” He trailed off, and she thought she heard him let out a slight whimper.

“We both have,” she said quietly. “That is something we have in common, you and I; both of us are carrying broken hearts within us. I don't know if we can help each other heal, but... all the same, it is relieving to be able to open up to someone else about my own sorrows.” Mipha sighed and stood up. “That said, I think I would like to return home now. My heart is no longer in this, I'm afraid... perhaps we could come back another day?”

“Of course.” He still sounded pained. “Whenever you want...”

“Thank you.”

After she'd dried herself off with the towel he'd provided and swallowed the other elixir, Mipha climbed onto Ravio's back for the return trip. They traveled in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Once they arrived, she dismounted again and headed for the back door of the manor. As she reached for the knob, Ravio's voice stopped her. “Mipha?”

She turned. “Yes? What is it?”

He was quiet for a moment, and then finally spoke. “I'll see you at dinner.”

“Mmm.” Mipha nodded. “Yes. I will see you later, then.”

_For a moment I almost thought he was going to say something else. I can't imagine what, though._

* * *

_Her homework done, Mipha reached into her backpack and retrieved a wrinkled piece of paper. Her hands shook as she smoothed it out on her lap, eyes scanning the printed words and weirdly blurry photo. It was a flyer for the upcoming school dance later this week, advertising the date and time and reminding students of the rules for attendance. She'd found it lying abandoned on the ground as she left her second to last class of the day, and on a whim had picked it up and stuffed it in her backpack, promising herself that she'd look at it only when she got her work done._

_She'd never been to one before, but she'd always been curious. It was hard not to be. Everyone seemed to treat them as such a big deal, life or death in the social scene. Which, if you looked at it from a certain angle, did seem a little ridiculous. After all, it was just a few hours at a high school spent listening to music you weren't in control of while teachers and parent volunteers kept a close eye, dancing under cheap decorations in clothes that looked uncomfortable. Hylians and their silly trends, honestly—she was glad not to be caught up in all that, even if it did get her some rude and often crude remarks from some of them, boys and girls alike._

_On the other hand, though, she could kind of understand it. Slow dancing with someone you loved, even in such a setting, had an undeniable romance to it that appealed to her. It was also a chance for friends to just hang out, and have fun, and create lasting memories beyond that single night. Mipha found herself staring wistfully at the flyer, thinking about how nice it could be to go with a certain someone. She couldn't see it happening, but she could dream._

_A knock on her bedroom door startled her out of her reverie, and Mipha looked up to see who was there. Expecting it to be her father or Sidon, she was instead shocked to see Link. “Hey, Mipha.” He smiled, but there was something nervous about it. “Is it okay if I come in?”_

_“Oh! Link!” Mipha stood up quickly, her heart racing. “Of course, I...” She paused, studying his face. “Is... is everything okay?”_

_“I, um...” His gaze darted around the room, and he lifted a hand to scratch the back of his head. “I hope so...”_

_She frowned. “What? What do you mean?”_

_“Nothing, just...” Link's eyes fell on the paper still clutched in her hand. “Is that a flyer for the dance?”_

_“What? Oh, oh, yes, I, ah...” Mipha's face burned as she struggled to find an excuse for having it. “I found it in my backpack just now, someone must have stuck it there...”_

_“Were you wanting to go?” He was still radiating anxious energy, but his expression was unreadable._

_“Um, well...” She shrugged, trying to appear casual. “I've never been to one, you know that... so I suppose I'm a bit curious. Only natural, you know?” She shifted from one foot to the other and then back again. “What about you? Were you considering asking someone?”_

_“... Yeah.” He nodded. “I am.”_

_“Oh! Well...” Mipha swallowed, trying not to let the way her heart had just dropped show on her face. “I hope—I hope that goes well for you, then. Is it—is it okay if I ask who you want to go with?” Might as well find out now, she figured. It was going to hurt either way, after all._

_“That's, ah...” Link took a step forward, looking more nervous than ever. “That's why I'm here... it's...” He took a deep breath. “It's you, Mipha. I want to go with you.”_

_At first she could only stare at him, her heart beating so fast that it made her dizzy. Mipha's mouth opened and then closed, and then opened again as she found her voice. It sounded squeaky in her shock. “Me? You want to...” She could barely breathe. “As... as friends, or...”_

_“On a date. If that's okay.” Link moved closer, and she could see the fear and hope mingled in his eyes. “Mipha, I... I like—no.” He shook his head. “That's not right. I...” He reached out and shyly took her fingers in his hand. “I love you. And I want... I want to do things like this with you. So, will you—”_

_“Yes!” The word burst out of her before he'd even finished his sentence, startling them both; Mipha clapped her other hand over her mouth in embarrassment. A half-second later, though, she started to laugh, her eyes filling with happy tears. “Oh, Link, I...” She squeezed his hand. “I love you too. I would... I would be thrilled to go with you.”_

_“Oh, Mipha...” She'd never seen Link look so happy before; his smile was soft, yet radiant, and his whole face was glowing with quiet joy. “I'm so glad, I...”_

_“So am I,” she whispered, even as she took a step towards him. This was it—this was when they would finally kiss, just like she'd been dreaming of for so long. “I cannot wait to go with you...”_

_“Yeah, me either.” He laughed too, as if he couldn't believe how lucky he was. “So, I'll pick you up at...” He stopped, and something seemed abruptly to blur, shake; her hand slipped out of his grasp somehow. “At the end of the month...”_

_“What?” Mipha stared blankly up at him. “The end of the...”_

_“Yeah.” Link's voice shook, and she realized with a dawning horror that he no longer looked happy. His expression had changed to one of utter misery, his eyes full of despair. “He kept it quiet until it was all finalized so he wouldn't jinx it, he said, and... he told me just now, now that it's set in stone.” He took a deep breath, and she could see he was fighting off tears. “So that's all the time I have left to spend with you...”_

_“No... no...” Mipha clasped her hands to her mouth and backed away, shaking her head. “This can't be, it's...” Her voice died mid-sentence. This is wrong, she wanted to say, but somehow she knew it wasn't. This was real. All too real._

_“Trust me, I wish it wasn't happening either.” Link covered his eyes with one hand, his shoulders shaking. “I don't want to go, I want to stay here, I...” His voice broke. “I hate this...”_

_Mipha opened her mouth to beg him to stay, to never leave her side, to please not forget about her, but no sound would come out. And she knew that it didn't matter anyway, that her worst fears would eventually come true regardless of what she said now._

_This, she knew, was the beginning of the end._

Mipha awoke with a start, her body jerking violently beneath the sheets. A cold, awful feeling coursed through her, her heart thudding against her ribs, and her breath came in shuddering gasps. Every detail of the dream was horribly vivid in her mind, and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, tears began to fill them.

_What a... what an unimaginably cruel thing to dream of... to be presented first with the way I wish that awful day had gone, only to then be flung straight into the reality of how it did happen._ Mipha buried her face in the pillow to muffle a sob. _I did take that flyer home that day, and I did think about how lovely it would be to go with Link... but when he came over, he had just been told of the impending move and he wanted to break the news to me as well. He never asked me out or told me he..._ Her fingers tightened on the pillow. _Oh, why did I have to dream of such a thing, this is too much..._

She would have wailed in grief if a noise from outside hadn't caught her attention, distracting her. Footsteps. And then a rustle of paper. Mipha frowned, and then remembered that she'd come home from the hot springs to find that Ciela had kept her word and provided some string for her. She'd used it to tie her note to the doorknob just before turning the lights out and going to sleep. There was silence for a moment as he presumably read it, and then the door opened. Mipha didn't bother looking up; she just waited for him to come over and get into bed.

The mattress moved more than usual this time, and she realized that he was abiding by her request for him to sleep away from the edge. She couldn't see him, of course, but she could sense that he was somewhere between the other end and the middle of the bed. Mipha took a few hiccuping breaths, and then scooted closer to him, stopping only when she bumped into his arm where he laid on his back. A soft gasp came from him at the contact, and he seemed to shiver in surprise. "I'm sorry," Mipha whispered in a choked voice. "I just... I had a bad dream..." 

The mattress shifted again as he rolled over, and her heart fell; clearly he was turning his back to her. But in the next second she felt his warm breath on her face, just before he reached up and began to slowly stroke her tail. Her breath caught. He couldn't possibly know what a deeply affectionate gesture that was among Zoras, could he? No, probably not. He was most likely just trying to comfort her in the only way he could think of. 

And it _was_ comforting. Mipha shuddered, the last of her tears spilling out as her body reacted to his gentle touch. How long had it been since someone had done anything like this for her? It felt like forever, and that just made her response all the more intense. The tension from the dream gradually melted away as he continued to soothe her, and her breathing slowed and calmed. Her eyes drifted shut again, and Mipha just barely managed to mumble out a 'thank you' before falling back into a deep sleep, a more peaceful one that would last undisturbed until morning arrived.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, as always, for your continued support! <3 I hope you'll stick with this!

Mipha stretched and yawned, smiling as she saw the folded up note on her bedside table. It'd been a couple weeks or so since she'd requested that they continue to communicate this way, and he'd readily agreed. His exact words had been that he agreed that talking to each other would make the situation easier, and that he was willing to do whatever he could to help make her more comfortable. So exchanging notes it was.

He hadn’t had much to say about his own past so far, but he’d expressed interest in everything she had to say about herself or just in general. When she’d shyly thanked him for comforting her that night after her bad dream, his answer had made her blush.

 _I'm glad it helped. I was nervous about doing that, since I didn't know how you'd react and if it would bother you if I touched you. But since you'd initiated contact between us first, I took the risk because I wanted to comfort you. You obviously needed it, so I'm relieved I was able to do something for you, even a little bit. I hope your dreams treat you better in the future_.

Maybe it was silly to have such a reaction to a simple note from someone she didn't have a name or face for, but it made her feel warm inside even now just thinking about it. Ravio's kindness touched her heart too, but this felt different, because it wasn't from a talking animal, it was from a Hylian—he'd told her that much—man, one who slept in her bed, no less. It was such an unusual and frankly intimate scenario, that had been transformed from disturbing to comforting so quickly it was a bit surreal. He'd gone from being a stranger whose motives were unclear, to something almost like a friend, who wrote kind and lovely words on paper to her. Perhaps it was her loneliness talking, but it was kind of nice to have some attention directed her way like that, even under such odd circumstances.

 _Although I admit I'm probably reading too much into it. Even still, it's flattering to be spoken to this way. I haven't had anyone express that kind of interest in me in years. He's more than likely not interested at all, of course, but it's fun to think about regardless. Especially since it's so easy to imagine that it's Link lying beside me at night, sending me these letters. Because that is what I really want, after all: not for some stranger to be interested in me, but for Link to want me and care for me. In the dark, I can pretend. It stings, but I cannot help it. I have fantasized for years about being with him, how am I meant to stop now that I know how deep my feelings go? It doesn't seem possible_.

Mipha eagerly unfolded the latest letter, but her heart fell as she saw the short reply.

_I don't have one._

_Tell me about yours_.

She'd requested that he tell her a little about his family, out of a desire to know more about him. This answer was... worrying. Either he couldn't tell her anything, or he really had lost his family somehow, which made her heart ache for him. She frowned down at the letter, and took it with her to the desk so she could pen a reply.

_I'm so sorry to hear that; I hope I did not open up any wounds for you by asking. My apologies._

_As for myself, I have two living family members: my father, and a younger brother named Sidon. He is seven years old presently, and the sweetest child you will ever meet. Rambunctious and reckless, which reminds me of a friend of mine at that age, but so kind and loving. (Also like my dear friend was.) He looks up to me, which I should expect, but I also sometimes fear that I will disappoint him somehow. I suppose all I can do is try my best to be the sister he deserves._

_I want to do my best for my father as well. He is also unfailingly kind, and has never given me anything but unconditional love and support. It brings tears to my eyes just writing about it. Ever since our family fell on hard times I have feared that he would overwork himself and leave us before he should, but now, with the money I have been able to give him, he has retired and seems so much less tired and stressed. What an incredible relief! I am so grateful to have been able to help them both._

_My mother... she died giving birth to Sidon. I miss her terribly, of course, but my heart aches even more for Sidon, who has never known her. I have tried to give him a good idea of her through my stories and the pictures and videos we have, but that is not the same as having had her in his life in person. It pains me that he will never have any real memories of her the way Father and I do. And Father... he doesn't speak much of her anymore, but I know his pain runs deep, because he loved her dearly, as she loved him. Not all children are blessed with parents who adore each other, but mine did, and it saddens me more than I can say that they were separated like that._

… _Have you ever been in love?_

It was a bold question, she knew, but now that it was written in pen, it was too late to take it back. Heart racing, Mipha folded it up and put it next to the ball of kitchen twine that Ciela had filched from Yeto's supplies for her continued correspondence. She'd tie it to her doorknob before turning out her light, as had become her nightly habit. It was fun to be indulging in such a thing, in this age of texts and emails, where physical letters were more rare than they used to be. When they were kids she and Link had sometimes left silly notes and drawings in each other's backpacks to find later, and they'd had so many good laughs over it. If they'd ever dated, she liked to think that they would've revived that tradition, but with little love notes instead. So old-fashioned, but also so romantic, in her opinion.

Ciela was a little late this morning, but that was fine, and gave her time to pick out a shawl for the day and some jewelry. All her really valuable pieces had been sold years ago to help her family out, but she'd managed to keep a few things for herself that were considered all but worthless by the people she'd sold the rest to. One was the little necklace she'd chosen today, a simple chain with a small topaz pendant attached.

“ _Topaz is supposed to guard against lightning, my love,” her mother said as she attached the clasp for Mipha, who'd lifted up her tail up so the gift could be put on. “So if you wear it during a storm, the legends say, it will keep you safe.”_

“ _Really?” Mipha looked down at the small jewel that now lay on her chest, sparkling in the light. “Is that true?”_

“ _I don't know.” She laughed. “But I like to think it will protect my little girl from harm, in its own way.” She kissed the top of her daughter's head. “In one way or another, I will always watch over you, my darling Mipha. Never forget that.”_

“I won't,” Mipha whispered to the mirror, her eyes stinging. “I promise...”

 _I am so grateful that I didn't have to sell this necklace. I have so little left of her, that I treasure each thing I have hung onto. Every one of them carries priceless memories that I don't wish to lose_. _And I have lost so much, after all, that it is hard not to cling to what remains_.

Wiping at her eyes to get rid of the tears before Ciela could arrived, Mipha walked over to her bedroom doors and opened them up. The fairy in question zoomed right in as she did, startling her into jumping back out of instinct.

“Sorry I'm late!” Ciela swooped through the air in a figure eight before going over to hover just above the table. Mipha's breakfast appeared there, along with three bottles of elixir. “I know you said you should be fine with two, but I wanted to give you an extra one just in case. You have somewhere to store 'em, right?”

“Yes.” Mipha nodded as she sat down and began to eat. “I will wrap them up carefully and put them in my backpack for the trip today.”

There were two more weeks left till the winter solstice, she'd remembered with no small amount of panic the other day. It was considered to be a holy day in Zora religion, and it was customary to exchange gifts with loved ones. So today she was finally going to set foot in Tabantha Village, with Ravio's help; he would take her there, and she would shop for presents for her family and friends and get them mailed out. Hopefully they'd arrive in time. She intended to pay whatever the post office asked for priority shipping, of course, but even then things like distance, weather, and the like could trip things up.

With her wallet and the two bottles of elixir stored in her backpack, Mipha left the room upon finishing breakfast and headed down to the old tradesman's entrance. Just like on the morning of their first hot spring visit, Ravio was waiting outside for her, and she smiled when she saw him. He lowered himself down so she could climb onto his back, and soon they were off.

“Thank you so much for doing this for me, I truly do appreciate it,” Mipha said, shortly into their journey. “If the connection were better I would've considered ordering online, but I think this is a better option under the circumstances. And no, please don't apologize again for the poor service,” she added. “That is not your fault.”

“Fine, I won't.” He laughed, and she smiled to herself. He'd been more subdued ever since that hot spring trip, so it was nice to be able to make him laugh. “But I _will_ say that this is my way of making it up to you. So there.”

“Impossible!” Mipha giggled, and she was pleased to hear him laugh again too. These past couple weeks had been a trial, to put it lightly, as she continued to struggle with the painful truth of her feelings for Link. The decline in Ravio's mood didn't help either, she hated seeing her friend become even sadder upon hearing of her suffering, and so she'd decided to try and put on a brave face whenever she could, in hopes of cheering them both up. Sometimes it even worked. Like now. It was all about seizing whatever little sources of joy she could find to latch onto and taking things day by day, something she was slowly but steadily learning how to do. It was, after all, the only way to make it through this year until she could go find Link again and get her closure. “But that settles it. I simply _must_ bring you back a gift of some sort too. I insist.”

“I don't know what you could possibly get me,” he countered. “It's not like I wear anything...”

“That's true.” Mipha frowned. “There must be something, though...” She wrung her hands. “Please, won't you give me an idea of some kind? After everything you have given me, I cannot let the solstice go by without giving you something. The tradition is only one gift, so you do not have to provide me with a long list, but at least help me a little. Please?”

“Mipha, it's not that I'm ungrateful, I just honestly can't think of anything.” He sighed. “It means a lot to me that you want to get me something, but I have no idea what you could get. I don't wear anything, and it's hard to have any hobbies like this.”

“Hmm...” Her frown deepened as she pondered the issue. “Is... is there at least someone who could help you turn pages if I got you a book? You must be so bored, so if I can help alleviate that, it would be nice, I think. I know there are a lot in the library at home, but it is the only thing I can think of...”

“... Actually, that's not a bad idea.” Ravio laughed suddenly. “Yeah, go ahead and do that, I can ask a fairy to help me with that. Don't worry about there being a lot in the library—there's room for more, and I know getting me something is important to you. So I don't mind.”

“Oh, good!” Mipha clasped her hands together and sighed in relief. “I will try and find a good one for you. Thank you!”

“No problem.”

Mipha fell silent, trying to think of all the books she knew that she thought he might like. She could remember a great deal of Link's favorites, which would hopefully be helpful: with such similar personalities, it seemed like a safe place to start. It all depended on what the local bookstore had in stock, of course, but she did have options.

Snow was falling in gentle flurries by the time they reached the end of the road, but that somehow made the sight of the brightly lit town all the more beautiful. Mipha's breath caught as it came into view. Despite that it was very much a modern settlement, it still looked like something out of a fairy tale, what with the snow-covered roofs and the flakes swirling down to blanket everything in yet more glistening, glittering white. Ravio left the road as they drew nearer, and took her into a cluster of evergreen trees that towered over even him.

“I'll wait for you here,” he said as she climbed down and adjusted the straps of her backpack. “For obvious reasons, I can't go with you.”

“I wish you could.” Mipha glanced at the village, and then looked back at Ravio. “It would be fun to be able to do something together like that.”

“Yeah, but then you couldn't keep your present for me a secret, remember?” He tried to laugh. “Think of it that way.”

Mipha stepped forward and laid her hand softly atop his snout; his eyes widened a little. “It's their loss, you know,” she said quietly. “I cannot even joke about being glad to have such a wonderful friend all to myself, because it saddens me that you cannot be appreciated for who you are the way you deserve, by more people than just me.”

“... You know, I...” His voice was rough and scratchy, as if full of too much emotion. “I honestly don't see how anyone could ever forget about someone like you. Too far-fetched.”

“Don't,” Mipha whispered, her own voice starting to tremble. “Not now... I cannot think about all that right now...”

“I'm sorry.” He closed his eyes and turned away, sounding ashamed of himself. “I'm so sorry, Mipha... I wasn't trying to upset you, but...” He sighed. “I'm sorry.”

“It's alright.” She forced herself to breathe steadily, and stroked the fur between his ears. “I know that it came from a place of kindness, and that is good enough for me.” She ruffled his fur, and managed a laugh when he opened his eyes and gave her a mock glare. “I will go now, and I'll try not to take too long. I promise.”

“Take care, then.”

“I will.” Mipha gave him her brightest smile, and then headed off.

The fresh reminder of Link still stung, but it began to ease as she made her way through the village. Mipha still wasn't the biggest fan of snow, and she never would be, but all the same she couldn't help but be enchanted by the scene around her. There weren't that many cars on the road, which just added to the magical feel of it, creating in some spots an image of a city from times gone by. Elaborate ice sculptures of figures from ancient legend and modern entertainment alike dotted the sidewalks alongside tall lampposts and towering pine trees. In a park she passed, Rito and Hylian children alike were hurling snowballs at each other and giggling, while a few Sheikah teenagers argued amongst themselves as they tried to build some kind of structure. Cars in the lot of a dealership bore a dusting of snow so light it almost looked like powdered sugar, and a statue of what was probably supposed to be a Great Fairy reached her arms out from atop the roof of a small casino. Brightly lit shop windows with merchandise displayed proudly behind the glass beckoned to Mipha, in such great numbers that it was almost overwhelming.

A choice had to be made eventually, though, if she was going to get her shopping done, so Mipha took a deep breath and ducked into the next store she came across. It was a Rito-owned boutique, not one she would have visited for herself, but she managed to find something nice that she thought Zelda would like and then left, feeling a little better about accomplishing her goals. The toy shop next door provided a present for Sidon that brought a smile to her face as she eagerly anticipated his reaction, and then it was onto the bookstore across the street for Ravio's gift.

She'd expected to have a hard time finding any of the books on her mental list, but an amazing discovery awaited her. The book she'd pulled his name from, _Shadows of Another World_ , had been reprinted with a beautiful new cover. Mipha traced her fingers across it reverently; it was simpler and more elegant than the garish artwork on the edition Link had loaned to her, prompting him to beg her not to judge it by said cover, as he found it embarrassing too. There was no doubt in her mind that he'd love to have a nice copy like this one that didn't cause him so much consternation. Wherever he was, he probably already had one, assuming he still felt the same fondness for the book. This one, then, would go to Ravio, so he could see where she'd gotten the name she'd given him.

She tried a couple other stores next, but didn't find anything she wanted; on impulse, she went into an antique and vintage store. Maybe they would have something good. And indeed, she was able to find gifts there for both her father and Impa, and even a larger, nicer bag for herself that would fit more things into it than her ratty old backpack.

Seeking the exit, Mipha somehow wound up in a space being rented by a thrift store advertising that they sold both modern and classic, whatever that meant, clothing. As she didn't care about Hylian fashion and was done with her shopping anyway, she would've passed right on through if her eyes hadn't alighted on a shirt hanging at the front of one of the racks. Her heart stopped for a moment as she took it in, and moved close enough to run her fingers over the fabric. It was blue, with three-quarter sleeves, a wave design at the bottom, and a lobster on the chest.

It was identical to the one Link had worn during that last trip to her family's beach house.

 _Just looking at it, I feel like I can hear the waves, smell the salty air._ Mipha traced the lobster design with her index finger, sighing at the memory. _We ate a big lunch and he spilled—I forget what, but I helped him wash it off in the water. He asked me to put sunscreen on his back, and my heart was beating so fast I thought he'd be able to tell somehow, but he never knew how he affected me. We fell asleep together later, after he put the shirt back on, and when I woke up first, I didn't want to move or go anywhere. I just wanted to stay close to him like that forever. I still do_.

The temptation to buy the shirt roared up in her; for several minutes, Mipha actually considered it. She thought about taking it home, hidden in her backpack, and hugging it to herself later. She imagined even putting it on, and pretending that she was wearing Link's, after waking beside each other in quite a different scenario, one that made her hot all over just thinking about it. And then she snapped back to reality. _This is not healthy,_ she reminded herself. _If I am ever to let go, it must start by stopping myself from doing such foolish things. It's true that I can't get over him until I see him again, but I can at least begin the process in small ways by avoiding temptations such as these. I can't ever become stronger if I don't_.

Letting go of the shirt, she turned and walked out of the store, refusing to let herself glance back even once. Someone else would buy it, and make their own memories with it, and she would, in time, lessen this ache in her heart. If she was ever to move on and find happiness somehow, she had to. It was hard to imagine herself being happy with anyone but Link, but she would have to try.

The post office was her last stop, and she had to remind herself once again not to cringe at the cost of priority shipping. Sticker shock had gripped her with a couple of the gifts themselves, and she'd talked herself down from putting the items back by reminding herself that yes, she did have the money now, and it was okay to spend it. It really was. That was hard to convince herself of, after so long going without, but oh well; another thing to slowly learn to adjust to.

With that done, she headed back to the little cluster of trees where Ravio waited for her. His eyes opened as she ducked under a branch, and his gaze seemed to fix on her necklace. “I like that color on you,” he commented. “It matches your eyes.”

“Oh?” Mipha touched the topaz as she glanced down. “I... suppose you're right, I never thought about it before...” Link had gotten suspended for a week in fourth grade for punching a boy who'd made fun of her “creepy” yellow eyes; afterwards, bruised and bloodied and in the biggest trouble he'd yet thrown himself into, he'd told her that her eyes were beautiful, not creepy, and not to listen to jerks like the one he'd just fought. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” He looked back up at her face. “Did you get everything you needed?”

“Yes, thank you.” Mipha smiled. “And your present is hidden away in my bag, so don't worry about it.”

“Heh.” He didn't move. “Climb on then, whenever you're ready.”

They returned home in near-silence; Ravio barely spoke, and Mipha let herself fall back into thoughts of Link, spurred on by the sight of that shirt that was so like his. The stain of whatever he'd spilled that day had never quite come out, so she knew it wasn't his, but all the same it haunted her. She had so many memories tied to it, memories that had once been joyful but were now tinged with melancholy. It was so hard to look back now, harder than ever before. How long had this love lurked in her heart for him? She found it no easier to pinpoint now than she had the day she'd realized it. It colored every memory, every thought she had of him. Their friendship had been so much a part of her life that it felt like it was woven into the very fabric of her soul, helping to shape who she was. Someone, she forgot who, had once said that all the people you cared about left little pieces of themselves in you long after they had passed through your life. Link had certainly done that. They'd touched each other in ways beyond the physical, leaving them both forever altered. Or at least she was. If he'd managed to shrug off the echoes she'd left behind in him, then that might be what hurt the most about this.

* * *

Having secured the note to the knob, Mipha shut her bedroom door and walked over to her bed. She felt bone-tired, weary in every way she could be. The gloom that had settled over her at the sight of that shirt had never lifted, hanging over her head in a hazy fog that affected the rest of her day. The thought of what she might dream about after such an incident scared her a little, but it didn't outweigh her need for sleep. Hopefully she'd feel better in the morning. There was a good chance she wouldn't, but she refused to dwell on that right now.

Sleep eluded her as she laid there in the darkness, though, watching the shadows seem to swirl and dance across the ceiling. The moonlight on the fresh snow could still be seen somewhat from around the curtains, but before too long it would go away. It was hard not to feel somewhat impatient for that. As scary as it had all been those first few nights, it had now flipped to being a comforting constant. His company, though silent, had grown to be reassuring, and sleeping alone wasn't as appealing anymore as it once had been. How strange a thing, to have what should've been a terrifying situation become the opposite over time. Surely it wasn't what whoever had laid the spell on him had had in mind. That was a darkly satisfying thought, for Mipha found that she greatly disliked—to say the least—anyone so malicious as to force two strangers into such circumstances.

Time ticked slowly by, and just as she began to grow frustrated with the wait she heard the familiar footsteps and the crinkling of paper. Mipha closed her eyes. The door opened at long last, and she listened to him walk in and move across the room to her bed. Her breath slipped out of her in a near-sigh of relief as she felt the mattress shift under his weight. He was here. She wasn't alone anymore.

He moved closer to the center of the bed, and Mipha moved with him. Towards him. Tension hung taut in the air between them, before she finally spoke, brushing the silence aside. “Will you...” She swallowed hard. “Will you... hold me? I am in need of comfort again tonight, so if you don't mind...”

The question dangled between them for what felt like an eternity. Then the mattress shifted again as he moved closer, and his arms came around her gently, pulling her in. Mipha's heart pounded, even as she relaxed into his embrace, and she struggled to calm her breathing and speak again. “Th-thank you,” she managed in the tiniest of whispers. He didn't say anything, but his fingers stroked her back a little, and she wondered briefly if she would pass out.

 _Why does this feel so_ good? _I..._ The simplest explanation was that it'd been a very long time since anyone had held her, but that couldn't possibly account for all of it. Could it? As tempting as it was to chalk it all up to that, it didn't explain why her heart was racing, or why she felt warm all over. There was just... something about the feel of his arms around her, the closeness of his body, that was affecting her in a powerful way that she couldn't find any logical reason for.

Slowly, she brought up a shaking hand to touch his face, and her thumb brushed the corner of his mouth. She couldn't see him, of course, but she could hear his breathing change, quicken, and his whole body trembled. On impulse, Mipha leaned forward and kissed him. Her mysterious companion went still for a moment, and then began to kiss her back. And _oh_ , did it feel amazing. She hadn't been kissed in _so_ long, and whoever he was, it felt really good to do this with him. His lips were soft and warm, and he kissed her with a surprising tenderness that made her ache somewhere deep inside. It was almost as if he'd been yearning for this. But that was probably just her imagination, projecting her own loneliness and longings onto him.

All the same, it created a hunger in her that she expressed by deepening the kiss, letting her tongue flick between his parted lips; he matched her hunger with some of his own, his grip on her tightening a little. Here in the dark, with no face to assign to him, it was all too easy to picture Link, to pretend she was getting to kiss him the way she'd wanted to for years. Just the thought made her shiver, and she moaned into his mouth. He sighed in response, the sound sending a wave of heat through her. Mipha started to move closer, and slid her other hand down to touch his chest, only for him to abruptly break off the kiss and pull away from her. His ragged breathing was loud in the pitch-black room, but soon became distant as he scrambled out of bed and slammed the door shut behind him, his footsteps echoing down the hall. In his wake Mipha could only lay there, stunned.

_Oh... what have I done? I..._

Alone in the dark, Mipha buried her face in the pillow and began to cry. She wasn't sure exactly what had caused him to flee the room, but it pained her all the same. Something had clearly upset him enough to run, and that was really all she needed to know. She'd crossed a line, and he'd been freaked out enough to leave, when she knew he was required by some mysterious force to sleep in her bed every night. How did that work, exactly? Did he intend to stay awake all night just so he wouldn't have to return? Or was this only temporary and he'd be back as soon as she fell asleep? Impossible to say without more information.

Her mind racing with her troubled thoughts, Mipha found it difficult to drift off. She kept listening for the sound of footsteps indicating his return, but none came. Eventually, though, she exhausted her tears and slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

There was no note.

Heart heavy, Mipha stared at the spot where he always left his letters, right on top of the photo of herself and Link. That, more than anything, seemed to confirm that he hadn't come back. Her guilt felt like a boulder in her stomach. Part of her wanted to just fling the covers over her head and go back to sleep, but she knew that wouldn't solve anything. So Mipha just sighed and got up, and waited for Ciela to come by with breakfast.

The fish had no taste to it today, and she had to force it down and try not to let it come back up. Ciela chattered with her as she struggled to eat, about various things that she barely absorbed. If the little fairy noticed the unhappy mood she was attempting to mask, she didn't say anything. It was a small relief, but she'd take it, as it meant she didn't have to dodge around any uncomfortable questions. Just the thought of telling Ciela what she'd done—that she'd actually _kissed_ the nameless man who slept in her bed—made her squirm somewhere deep inside. No, that was better off being kept secret. Especially since she could barely explain to _herself_ why she'd done it, let alone to anyone else.

 _Am I truly just that lonely? No, that cannot be the end of it. I know it isn't. My mistake last night also comes from my constant thoughts of Link, of my love for him, and the way I am letting those feelings affect my impressions of this man who shares my bed. Between that and the fact that I am so starved for affectionate touch, it's no wonder it's all messing with my head so much. It is so hard to think straight when I'm in the grips of misery and grief like that, and last night was one of those times. I only hope I haven't made an irreversible error_.

The day passed slowly, tortuously. Mipha found herself restless, unable to concentrate on anything she tried to do. Today of all days she desperately needed a distraction, but none worked. She kept an obsessive watch on the time, growing more and more frustrated and anxious when it didn't go by quickly enough. All she wanted was for it to finally be nighttime again, to see if he would come back, and to apologize to him if he did. And she didn't want to do it through a note, either—this was something she felt she needed to say aloud.

At long last dinner rolled around. Mipha found herself relaxing a little as she walked towards the dining room. It would be a relief to see Ravio and chat with him, they'd had a nice time last night after her shopping trip as she'd excitedly told him all about what she'd gotten for everyone else, and teased him with hints about what she'd bought for him. Her enthusiasm had been infectious, putting him in a better mood than she'd seen him in since before the hot springs visit, and that had cheered her heart. She'd have to try to repeat it tonight. Her pace quickened as she drew closer to the doors, and she opened her mouth to happily greet him.

Only for it to die as she saw the empty dining room.

Mipha stopped short, staring in growing confusion at the scene that lay before her. The table was set as usual, and the fire was lit. But Ravio was nowhere to be seen. Anxiety skittered down her spine. _He's never once missed dinner with me before... what could be wrong?_

She stayed frozen there for what felt like several minutes, before she heard footsteps from behind. Mipha whirled, hope rising sharply in her, only to see Yeto approaching with a tray of food. Her heart plummeted. “Yeto... Yeto, where...” Her throat had gone dry. “Where is Ravio? Why is he not here?”

“Wolf say he not feel good today, send his regrets to you.” Yeto walked past her and set her food down on the table. “Will see you tomorrow.”

“Oh...” Mipha's shoulders slumped. “So he's... wait. Wait a minute.” She followed Yeto as he turned to leave the room. “Wait—where is his room, where does he sleep? I would like to go check on him...”

Yeto grunted. “I not know. Fairies tending to him. Say he not up for company.”

He shut the door behind himself before Mipha could ask any more questions. She stood and stared at it for a few minutes, and then reluctantly went over to the table to eat her dinner. As with breakfast, she barely tasted it, and gave up before half the food was even gone. Her stomach was roiling with far too much unease for her to be able to force down any more, and she left the room and returned to her own with drooping posture and arms wrapped tightly around herself.

What a miserable day it'd been. And the night was looking no better. Mipha paced around her room for a while before sitting down on the couch, and then a minute or two later getting back up on her feet. She made herself take an icy cold bath to try and keep herself from getting sleepy, as the last thing she wanted to do was doze off before he got there. Her mind was so full of worry and guilt that it seemed unlikely to happen, but all the same she wanted to be sure.

It was late when she turned her light off; not enough that it was cutting it too close to when he usually arrived, but late enough that she would have less of a chance of falling asleep waiting for him. Mipha laid there in the dark with open eyes and restless hands that clasped and unclasped themselves, tapped out a nervous rhythm on her stomach, and finally just clutched the sheets to her chest as she turned onto her side and waited. Waited, and hoped.

Just when she was beginning to think he wasn't going to show up, she heard his footsteps and the sound of the door opening. A little flicker in the corner of her eye, and everything went pitch-black. Mipha held her breath. He stood motionless at the door for several long seconds, and the irrational fear that he could hear her heart pounding gripped her as he continued to stay still. Finally, _finally_ he walked towards the bed. The mattress shifted, and she found herself able to breathe out as she realized that he wasn't returning to his old habit of sleeping right on the edge of the bed. Several long seconds passed. Then Mipha inched forward and, after a moment's hesitation, laid her hand on his shoulder. He had his back to her, which only intensified her guilt; a sharp intake of breath and a slight tremble beneath her fingers confirmed he was still awake and hadn't fallen asleep already. She took a moment to try and steady her voice before saying anything. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "About last night. I didn't mean to upset you, I..." She bit her lip, just lightly enough that she wouldn't draw blood. "I'm so sorry. I truly am. It won't happen again."

There was a long silence. Then she felt his hand cover hers and give it a gentle squeeze before withdrawing. Tears prickled at her eyes, and she let go of him and rolled over on her other side. He seemed to have forgiven her, but she still wanted to let him be and respect his space tonight. At least he wasn't putting himself at risk again by sleeping far from her, that was a small comfort.

* * *

There was a new letter.

Mipha stared at it, her heart thumping and her breathing erratic. The little piece of paper tantalized her as she laid there. For a few long, long minutes, she just watched it. Then she slowly reached out, and took it in her shaking fingers. She held her breath in an effort to calm it, and then unfolded the note.

_Just once._

_P.S. You're probably wondering if you ruined things, and I just want to say—no. You didn't. I'm fine, so please don't worry about it. I'm sure you'd like to forget it happened, so we'll drop the subject and continue on as we have been. If that's okay with you._

Tears sprang to her eyes, and Mipha covered them with her free hand. He really had forgiven her, and wanted to keep on talking to her even after what she'd done. What a kind heart he had; hers ached for him. Not just because of this particular incident, but because of the fact that he was trapped in this situation at all, because of someone else's cruelty. And despite that she'd just made it more awkward for him, he held no resentment and still cared about what she wanted. Who on earth would want to hurt someone like him? Or Ravio, for that matter? If she ever managed to meet them, she would have some _things_ to say.

Right now, though, it was more important to say a few things to her newest friend. Mipha wiped her tears away and hurried over to the desk to write. She took a deep breath, gathered her thoughts, and began to put them on the page.

_Of course it is okay with me. I do find it hard not to worry about it, however, especially since you have so readily forgiven me for this trespass. I admit I do not quite understand why, though I will accept it because I have no desire to further hurt you. I am so terribly sorry about what happened—you have only been trying to act as a friend to me in this bizarre situation we find ourselves trapped in, and I took unfair advantage of that. I didn't mean to, but I did it all the same, and the fact that I wasn't thinking properly when I did it is no excuse. Again, I am so sorry. You have been so good to me, and I am thankful for that even as I begin to feel unworthy of it._

_Enough of that, though. I do not wish to dump my guilt on you, and I am sure you would like to set this aside and move on as well. So consider the subject dropped now that I have said what I needed to say. Tell me a bit about something you wish to talk about. I still want to know more about you, if you don't mind_.

Mipha would've written more, but Ciela chose that moment to show up, and so she folded it up and tucked it away. Her stomach felt a little less queasy, so breakfast was easier to eat today than it had been yesterday. Afterwards, she made the decision to take her latest book from the manor library and go to the conservatory to read it. The sound of the water in the fountain was so soothing, and hopefully this activity would calm her some more.

All thoughts of reading flew from her head, however, as she entered the room. Mipha halted in her tracks, and then ran forward to the figure resting beside the fountain. “Ravio! You're here... how are you feeling?”

He opened his eyes to look at her. “Better, thank you. How are you?”

Mipha shook her head. “I am not the one who was feeling ill yesterday.” She knelt beside him. “Are you truly better today? Please tell me the truth.”

“I am, yeah. Don't worry about it.” He shook his head, his eyes not quite meeting hers. “It was just a small thing. And it's over now.”

“I'm glad to hear it.” Mipha stroked his fur a little, and then moved to sit down on the edge of the fountain. “I missed you at dinner, you know. It wasn't the same without you.”

“Yeah, sorry about that.” His gaze drifted away to the windows. “I'll be there tonight, though. I promise.”

“Good.” Mipha smiled. She started to open up her book, but Ravio's voice interrupted her.

“Mipha? I actually... there's something I want to talk to you about.” She looked over to see him watching her. “I was wondering... I know the solstice celebration is very important to you... so I thought maybe you'd like to spend it with your family.”

She nearly dropped her book. “ _What?_ ”

“Yeah.” He glanced away again. “It's been a while since you've seen them, and I know how hard it is to maintain contact with them here, so I was thinking you could maybe spend that day with them. I'd take you there early that morning, and then pick you up the morning of the following day. I know it isn't much, but—”

“No, no, I understand.” She shook her head. “We—we have our agreement to stick to, and I have no intention of backing out. But... I will gladly accept this generous offer.” Mipha's voice shook. “Thank you... thank you so much...”

“It's no problem. I know you miss them.”

“I do.” Mipha swallowed past the lump in her throat. “But... I also want to say...” She reached out and laid her hand on his head. “I will miss _you_ while I am there, as I missed you yesterday.”

“... I'll miss you too,” he said quietly, closing his eyes again. “Though I want you to concentrate on having fun with them, above all else. That's the most important thing.”

“I will.” Mipha smiled and stroked his fur again. “In the meantime, though, let us spend as much time as possible together. If you don't mind.”

“... Not at all.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I am eternally grateful for your supportive comments! <3

The stars were fading from the early morning sky as Ravio drew up in front of the house. Mipha stared up at it in awe. Her father had sent her some pictures, but it didn't really compare to seeing it in person. It wasn't as large as Snowpeak Manor, but it was still much bigger than anywhere he'd lived after her childhood home was lost. And this one he _owned_ , unlike those others over the past few years. Knowing that she'd made this possible for him gave her a fierce sense of joy and pride. At last, at long last her father was doing well for himself again, and she was responsible for it. She'd finally been able to give back a small fraction of the support, both financial and emotional, that he'd always given her. It was enough to make her eyes well up as she gazed at the grand house.

“This is the right one, right?” Ravio's voice startled her out of her thoughts. “I don't want to leave you at the wrong house.”

“It is, don't worry about it.” Mipha swallowed past the lump in her throat. “I memorized the address, and... it looks exactly like in the pictures he sent me. He...” Her voice cracked. “I was able to do this for him... because of you, he has this now. I don't know how I can ever repay you for this...”

“Just stay with me,” he said quietly. “Stay with me and keep our agreement. That's all I ask of you.”

“You don't have to worry about that.” She shook her head. “I have no intention of breaking my word to you.”

“I'm... glad to hear that. I'd understand if you were tempted, though.” He turned his head to look back at her. “This is your family, I know how much you love them. You don't want to go back to them? Or even just stay longer?”

“I...” Mipha took a deep breath. “I do love them very much. And I miss them terribly. I barely saw them even before you came into my life with your incredible offer, so that makes it even more difficult. But... my feelings about that _must_ take a backseat to the fact that I made you a promise. I gave you my word, and I refuse to break it. And even besides that, you...” She took a moment to steady herself. “You are my friend, and I care very much about you. I want to help you. I don't know who would want to make you suffer like this, but I am determined to end it if I can.”

“Not everyone would want to help a stranger like this, you know.” He looked away, and then back at her face. “You've gone above and beyond what most people would do. And don't say we're friends now, because when I first approached you I was a stranger to you, yet you agreed anyway. Don't tell me you're nothing special. That... friend of yours...” He hesitated. “I don't think he could've forgotten you. He must still think about you and want to see you again.”

“Ciela said something like that too, and I...” Mipha looked down at her lap, her fingers tightening on the corners of her shawl. “I want to believe you both, I do, but I'm also so scared of getting my hopes up. I want to go and find him after this is over, but...” Her lower lip wobbled as the tears slipped down her face. “What if he's cold to me when I get there? What if he laughs and says he hasn't thought about me in years?”

 _What if he comes to the door and his girlfriend is there in the house or apartment? What if I have to watch him be affectionate with her the way I've wanted him to be with me? What if I walk away utterly humiliated, whether or not I've been honest about the way I feel? There are so many horrible possibilities_...

A look of deep sadness came into his eyes. “Do you... have any reason to believe he'd treat you that way? Does he have a history of it?”

“No,” Mipha admitted. “He did cut off contact with me abruptly, without any warning whatsoever, but before that he had been nothing but warm and kind to me. That is what makes it so hard to understand, you know—he had sworn to always be my friend and never lose touch with me, but then he did. I wish I knew what I did wrong.”

“Sometimes things happen that are out of our control.” He looked down at the ground. “It could be that he didn't want to stop talking to you, but something happened to prevent him from keeping in touch with you. You shouldn't blame yourself.”

“I suppose so, but...” She sighed. “I wish I could share your optimism, I truly do. But I honestly cannot even understand it.”

“I just don't want you to think it's your fault, that's all.” He let out a sigh of his own. “I can't imagine what you could possibly do to cause someone to want to cut you off like that, especially if you two were close since childhood. You're the kind of person that anyone would be lucky to be friends with, and he must've realized that too.”

“Then why break his promise?” Mipha whispered. “Why hurt me like this?”

“That's something you'll have to ask him when you find him.” He tilted his head up to look at the sky. “In any case, I think we've stayed out here long enough.” He lowered himself to the ground. “Go on. I'll get out of here before anyone wakes up and sees me, and tomorrow night I'll meet you where we planned.”

“Yes, I suppose you're right.” Mipha took one corner of her shawl and used it to dry her face before climbing carefully down. She put on the brightest smile she could muster as she turned to him. “I will see you tomorrow morning, then—take care, and thank you again.”

“You're welcome, Mipha.” He stood up. “Have a good time with your family.”

She watched him lope away, and only when he was out of sight did she turn and face the house. Right after Ravio had made the offer to her, she'd called her father and told him about the arrangement, saying that she would be taking a very early flight here, and catch a shuttle to the nearby bus stop. That bus stop would, of course, be her meeting place with Ravio tomorrow morning—it was far enough away from the house that he wouldn't see her with a giant wolf, but close enough that it wasn't too bad a walk. More importantly, he'd agreed to be up early to let her in when she arrived.

Almost as soon as she rang the doorbell Mipha heard the sound of racing footsteps. Her father's voice said something, but it was drowned out by a much younger, higher-pitched voice; then the door was yanked open and a small red blur launched itself at her. “Miphaaaaaaaaa!”

“Sidon!” Laughing through her happy tears, Mipha pried her younger brother off her legs so that she could kneel down and hug him. “Oh, it's so good to see you!”

“You're here, you're here!” Sidon threw his arms around her and squeezed so tightly she almost couldn't breathe. “I wanted to wait up all night but Dad made me go to bed and I fell asleep and I was scared I'd miss you showing up but I didn't!” He pulled back and gave her an enormous toothy grin. “I'm so glad you're here!”

“So am I.” Mipha cupped his face and smiled back at her. “Is it just me, or have you grown a little since I last saw you?”

“He insists that he has, but I'm not so sure.” Dorephan appeared behind Sidon, smiling. He looked tired, but the kind of tired that came from rising early, rather than the perpetual overworked exhaustion she'd been so used to seeing in him for the past few years. “And I—”

“I know, Dad, you want me to stay little!” Sidon rolled his eyes. “But I _am_ growing, I am! And I'm going to be as big and tall as you someday!”

“I'm sure you will be.” Mipha laughed. “But you must understand, all parents feel that way about their children. It is hard for them to watch us grow up and leave them behind. They wish to hang on to our younger years far longer than we do.” _Mother used to say similar things to me, I remember... she would joke about me staying a hatchling forever._ “Don't be too angry at him.”

“Fine.” Sidon rolled his eyes again and sighed. “Come on, let's go inside, it's _cold_ out here...”

“Is it?” She ran her fingers over some of his long tail. “Why, it feels positively balmy to me after where I have been lately...”

“Ew, I never want to go there then.” He shuddered, and Mipha laughed. “Come on, I wanna show you my room, it's _so_ cool, I gots my own little aquarium and everything!”

“Allow her to get settled first,” said Dorephan with a laugh of his own as Sidon turned and raced down the hall. “Your sister has had a very long journey to get here and I am sure she is tired.”

“I'm fine.” Mipha smiled as she stood up. Thanks to whatever magic Ravio was able to harness, the trip took much less time than the flight she'd lied about would have. “But yes, I do want to put my things down first before a tour.” She followed her brother in, and then stopped after shutting the door. Her eyes burned with tears as she looked up at her father. “Father... I...”

“It is so good to see you, my dearest daughter.” He enfolded her in the warmest of hugs. “Welcome home, Mipha.”

 _This is not my home_ was the first thought that drifted into her head. This was a house she'd never lived in, after all, even if Snowpeak Manor hadn't already become her home over the past two months, and would continue to be for the next ten. After that... well, she could think about that later. “Thank you,” she whispered. _I will tell you the truth when this is all over, Father. I promise. I will come here first, and be honest, and then I will set out on my journey to find Link. Settling down somewhere can wait until I have closure with him._

“You are always welcome, Mipha.” He smiled down at her as she pulled back, and she could see that his eyes were bright with tears as well. “You have made this possible with your generosity, and I cannot thank _you_ enough. Not just for myself, but for Sidon as well.”

“You don't need to.” She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. “I _wanted_ to help you, for all you have done for me over the years, and for Sidon as well... he deserves the best. You both do.”

“As do you.” Dorephan leaned closer. “And you are continuing to be treated well at your school?”

“Yes.” It was only a partial lie, so it didn't taste as sour as it would have otherwise. Mipha hated not being able to tell him where she really was, but at least it was true that she was being treated wonderfully. _Probably better than I would be at an actual school,_ she reflected ruefully. _After all, no one at Snowpeak cares that I don't wear Hylian clothes or have a Hylian body_. “Everyone there is so kind, I have no complaints. It feels like home already.”

“I'm glad to hear that.” He lowered his voice. “Your friends arrived last night, and I suspect they're still sleeping. We will have to be sure not to wake them, though Sidon may accomplish that anyway.”

Mipha pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle her giggles. “Yes, he might! But thank you so much, for agreeing to have them here. I know it is an unusual request.”

“Not at all.” He shook his head. “You always used to invite that friend of yours, Link, too. He—” Dorephan stopped. “Mipha, what is wrong?”

“Nothing,” Mipha lied, trying to force a neutral look onto her face. “You're right, I always did invite him, and—and he was always happy to visit and spend the holiday with us, so I suppose it is not that different to invite Impa and Zelda. Still, I am grateful all the same.”

“Hmmm...” He gave her a considering look, and Mipha had to struggle not to look away. She knew she was a terrible liar, but her father usually took pity on her and didn't call her on obvious ones like this. Something had clearly changed in her face at the mention of Link, and he'd seen it. But to her relief, he merely nodded and dropped the subject. “It is no trouble at all, they are your friends and I quite like them. It will be nice to have a lively house tonight.”

“Yes, I—”

“Miiiiphaaaa...” Sidon reappeared, a whine in his voice. “Come _on_ , I wanna show you stuff...”

“Yes, of course, I am sorry!” Mipha giggled again. “Will you show me to my room first, so I can put my things down? Then I want the entire tour, you and me!”

“Yay!” He grabbed her hand, and tugged her along behind him. “You're gonna like _everything_ , it's _so_ cool...”

True to his word, Sidon led her up the stairs to a guest bedroom first. It was big and comfortable looking; not as large as her room at Snowpeak, but so much better than the tiny thing she'd briefly lived in before Ravio came into her life. She had just enough time to drop her bag on the bed before Sidon was pulling her along again.

“My room is the bestest one, no offense,” he said, almost tripping over his own tail but managing to stay upright. “I have so many fish tanks and Dad put glow in the dark stars all over the ceiling so it's like being outside at night. And I have so many toys now!”

“Oh, none taken, that sounds wonderful!” Mipha's eyes misted up again as she watched her brother bounce along down the hall. _It truly is a joy to see him so happy... I have wanted nothing for the best for him since he came into this world, and to be able to help provide it is such a precious gift. Ravio says the money is the least he can do for my kindness, but I still disagree. Seeing Father and Sidon in a better place is everything. I hope I can live up to my end of our bargain and give him as much as he's already given me_. “Is that where we're going now?”

“Yup!” He pushed open the door he'd stopped in front of with a loud bang; Mipha winced and hoped that Impa and Zelda's rooms were far enough away that they hadn't heard it. “Come in! It's so cool!”

“Oh, indeed, it is!” Mipha gasped in genuine delight. Huge glass tanks filled with colorful fish and corals lined one wall, and in the unlit room she could just barely see the fading glow of the stars on the ceiling that Sidon had mentioned before. His gigantic waterbed was unmade, and toys were scattered around everywhere. None, thankfully, were what she'd just bought him in Tabantha Village. “I love it, Sidon. It is amazing.”

“I know!” He grinned again. “Come on, I gotta show you the rest of the house, there's so much! We have a _huge_ pool, so I wanna take you swimming later. I've been practicing a lot!”

“I'm glad to hear it.”

Mipha followed him back out of his room; just as they turned to keep going, the next door down opened. “What is all the noise, some of us are trying to...” Impa trailed off as she took in the scene before her. “Mipha! You're here!”

“Yes, I—oof!” Mipha gasped as Impa rushed forward and threw her arms around her in what was either a hug or an attempt to asphyxiate her. “It's... good to see you too...”

“Same to you! You have no f...” She glanced down at Sidon as she pulled back. “Frogging idea how much we've all missed you. How was your, um, flight?”

“Excellent, thank you.” Mipha had to try not to laugh as Impa winked. “How are you? I hope we didn't wake you up.”

“Nah, you're good.” She waved a hand dismissively. “I can always sleep later. Now that you're finally here I don't want to waste time just lying around in bed. It's only today, right?”

“... Yes.” Mipha nodded. “I'm sorry it cannot be longer, but... well, you know.”

“Don't worry about it.” Impa yawned. “I'm used to getting no sleep. Especially with—” She sagged as another door opened and a beeping noise came from behind her. “Yeah. _That_.”

“Mipha!” Zelda rushed towards them, her arms outstretched. Terrako followed, bumping into Impa's legs as its creator embraced Mipha. “Oh, it is so good to see you!”

“Ow!” Impa whirled on Terrako. “You little—!”

“Ooh, Terrako, you're awake!” Sidon ran over and hugged the little robot, who beeped happily at him. “Wanna come with me and Mipha on the tour?” He looked up at Zelda. “I mean, if that's okay with you...”

“Of course it is!” Zelda pulled back from hugging Mipha. “Can I come too? I don't think I got to see everything last night...”

“Oh yeah, you didn't go to the pool!” Sidon stood up, somehow lifting Terrako in his arms. “Okay, get your... whatever those thingies are that Hylians swim in, and we'll go after I show Mipha around some more.”

“My ankle is broken thanks to that mechanical demon, so I can't go,” Impa announced loudly as she rubbed the back of her foot where Terrako had collided with her. “But go on, go without me... I'll be fine...”

“Oh, Impa, you're so dramatic!” Zelda giggled, and Impa glared back at her. “That sounds lovely, Sidon, I'll get my things. And Impa's, since she's incapacitated,” she added with a snicker as she ducked back into her room.

“You...” Impa knelt down in front of Sidon and Terrako and waved her finger at the robot. “Are a bad influence on her.”

“Me?” Sidon's eyes went wide. “What did I do?”

“Not you, silly.” Impa smiled and rubbed the top of his head. “You're perfect. Can't say the same about this thing, though.” She swatted at Terrako, only to withdraw her hand in a hurry as it tried to close its little claws around her fingers. “Ha! Too slow! I win this time!”

Sidon peered down at Terrako's feet. “Is that a game you two play? My friends and I do stuff like that too.”

“I—no, it's...” Impa looked flustered. “Never mind...”

“I see not much has changed since I left,” Mipha managed, her lips twitching as she struggled to hold back her laughter. _I had just been thinking about how childish she becomes around Terrako, and then Sidon goes and says_ that. _Poor Impa_.

“Nope.” Impa stood up, tossing one last glare to Terrako as she folded her arms across her chest and sighed. “Some things never will, I don't think.”

“So it seems.” Mipha smiled fondly. “Still, it is good to see you all again.”

“... Yeah.” Impa smiled back at her. “It is.”

* * *

“Daaaaaaad...”

It had been a long day, but a fun one. Sidon had taken them on an exhaustive tour of the new house, culminating in a lengthy swim in the marvelous indoor pool that had just finished being built. Mipha couldn't help but be a little envious; the one Ravio had promised her back home still hadn't even gotten started, thanks to delays due to the weather. It was no one's fault, of course, but it was hard not to long for spring, in hopes of something of a respite from the endless snow. The fact that she would spend all of spring and summer there still seemed unreal if she thought about it too hard.

In the here and now, though, she was more than enjoying herself. Dinner had been marvelous, a wide array of raw fish for her and her father and brother, while Impa had prepared some Sheikah foods for her and Zelda. Sidon had loudly declared that carrots were gross and he'd have to be paid to eat them, which would've been embarrassing if Impa hadn't started trying to negotiate a price with him for whatever vegetables she could think of for him to try. It'd ended with her promising to teach him how to use a kodachi in exchange for trying a spoonful of her carrot stew, and him saying that it was okay for cooked stuff, but never again. Her father had caught her eye as they all laughed, and she'd wondered if he was remembering, as she was, how the only cooked food she'd ever liked was Link's. Her mood had wavered briefly at that, but with everyone else there, it hadn't taken her long to recover. Now they were all sitting in the huge living room, and Sidon had something else on his mind besides food.

“Daaaaaaad...” he repeated, as he struggled to climb up on the arm of their father's recliner, his tiny legs dangling in the air. “Can we open presents now? Pleaaaaaaase?”

“Hmm...” Dorephan pretended to consider it, watching Sidon as he teetered on the chair. “Yes... I suppose we might as well.”

“Yaaaaaay!” Sidon jumped down and ran over to the pile of gifts that had been artfully arranged in front of the fireplace. He once again nearly tripped over himself, and Mipha started to get up to help him, but he righted himself in time and grabbed a gift. “Oh! This one's for you!” He hurried over and dumped a box in front of Zelda where she sat on the floor beside Impa. “Is it okay if I bring everyone's presents over?”

“Go for it.” Impa took a sip of wine. “We'd be honored to have such a distinguished delivery boy.”

“Delivery _man_!” Sidon corrected her as he went back to the gifts.

“Right, sorry!” Impa laughed. “And an excellent one you are!”

Before too long, Sidon had sorted the presents and handed them all out. Once he was done, he flopped onto the floor next to his own pile. “Can I go first?”

“Of course, of course.” Dorephan smiled. “It's your reward for delivering everything.”

“All _right!_ ” He picked up a present, shook it, and then began tearing through the wrapping paper. “Ooh, a book about bugs! Thanks, Zelda!”

“You're very welcome. I'll open your gift, then.” Zelda untied the ribbon tied unevenly around the little box, and lifted the lid to reveal a small green cap. “Oh... is this...”

“It's a hat for Terrako!” Sidon beamed at her. “Do you like it?”

“I love it, thank you!” Zelda placed the hat atop Terrako, and giggled as he beeped in confusion at her. “How adorable, thank you, Sidon.”

“Whoa!” They all looked over to see that Impa had opened up Mipha's gift to her: an antique kodachi. “Where in the—in the freaking world did you find something like _this_?”

“I visited an antique store when I did my shopping.” Mipha felt a burst of pride rise up in her chest at the expression on Impa's face. “I take it it meets with your approval?”

“Um, duh?” Impa goggled at her. “Thanks, Mipha!” She gestured to Mipha's little stack of presents. “Come on, open one of yours!”

“Okay, okay!” Mipha giggled. “Don't rush me!" She picked up a soft, lumpy present labeled as being from Sidon—she knew from experience how impatient he could be about seeing others open their gifts from him. It was really sweet, actually, because it came from a desire to see his loved ones happy. And indeed, she could see him inching closer with an eager look on his face as she carefully undid the wrapping paper. Beneath it was a large, soft plushie of an elephant. Mipha's eyes lit up. “Oh, it's so cute! Thank you, Sidon!”

“You really like it?” He jumped up and down with joy. “Yay!”

“It's from you and it's adorable, of course I love it.” Mipha grabbed his arm and pulled him onto her lap for a hug, eliciting a surprised cry from him, followed by giggles. “Now, let's see the rest of what you got.”

One by one, the rest of the gifts were opened up. All of them were a hit with their recipients, but perhaps no one was happier than Sidon, who was soon poking at things with the toy spear from his father while wearing the Lynel mask Impa had gotten him. Mipha's gift to him of a remote-controlled Vah Medoh plane, meanwhile, was awaiting both batteries and morning, so Sidon could make it fly all over the backyard without risking the breakage of anything in the house. To Impa's consternation, Terrako didn't seem to mind being prodded at nearly as much as it minded everything _she_ did. Before too long, though, Sidon was dozing happily in his father's arms as Dorephan carried him up to bed. The three girls took that as their cue to gather up their gifts and their glasses of Zora made wine and head up to Impa's room for some time to themselves.

Impa flopped down on the bed first, nearly sloshing her wine onto the sheets. “Phew. What time is it? I know we gotta get up at the crack of fucking dawn to see you off, but I don't wanna go to bed just yet.”

“It's only just after nine.” Zelda sat down behind Impa. “We have time yet.”

“Good.” Impa turned her head to look at Mipha as she sat down at the end of the bed. “I really wish you could stay longer, you know. It's just not the same talking to you on the phone or even video chat, especially with the shitty-ass connection you're working with up in nowheresfuckingville.”

“Someone is letting loose after spending all day around a child,” Zelda murmured, hiding a laugh as she stroked Impa's hair.

“Shush.” Impa pulled herself up just enough to take a big gulp of her wine. “My _point_ is, we miss you, Mipha.”

“I know you do.” Mipha smiled fondly at them. “And I know that communication is hard right now. I am hopeful it will improve in the spring, though, once it stops snowing so terribly much. Plus, it is only a temporary situation, after all.”

“It's ten more months,” Zelda said softly. “That feels like forever from this end of it. Doesn't it?”

“I don't think about it that way.” Mipha shook her head. “At least, I try not to. I focus on taking every day as it comes.”

“And I mean, that's a good approach, but...” Impa sighed. “You said _spring_. That's still a little ways away. Not to mention you're gonna be there for summer, too, and partway into autumn. A whole fucking _year_. Man, that guy sure doesn't ask for much from you, does he?”

“He doesn't, actually.” Mipha's face grew hot. “Believe me, I've _tried_ to offer to do more than just hang around the house all day, but he insists that my being there is enough. Considering what he's given me, it truly _doesn't_ seem like very much.” Her voice frosted over. “You've even benefited from it yourself, if you'll recall.”

“Fuck.” Impa winced. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that... I'm grateful for what you've done for me, I honestly am. I'm not trying to insult the guy, just...”

“You miss me. I know.” Mipha softened slightly. “And I understand, it _is_ very weird from the outside. Even I don't entirely understand it, and I am the one directly in this situation. But...” She sighed. “I do wish you'd at least try to accept that he is my friend, and has never treated me with anything but the utmost kindness. I agreed to help him so that I could help you, and my father and Sidon, but I also wish to help him, for his own sake.”

“You mean he still hasn't told you what exactly it is he needs your help with?” Zelda drew her legs up onto the bed, frowning.

“He can't. I told you that.” Mipha stared down at the rumpled comforter. “He has told me that there is much he wishes to say to me but cannot, and I have seen the very real pain in his eyes when he talks about it. He...” Her nail snagged a stray thread as she smoothed the material. “I do not know if I have ever met someone as sorrowful as he is. He tries to hide it, but there is so much within him that it cannot help but show. Vividly.”

“Great, now I feel even worse about what I said.” Impa grimaced and drank some more. “Do you have any idea why he's like that?”

“Not much.” She took a sip from her own glass. “He told me that something happened to him a few years ago that broke his heart, and that he never recovered from it, but didn't go into detail. I did not press him for it, because even if it is something he can freely discuss, I felt that he might not want to. He did say that being around me helps, though.”

“Shit, that's depressing. Not the being around you part,” Impa hastily added. “The rest of it. I gotta say, I wouldn't have guessed all that when he showed up in the backyard that night. Man.” She took another drink, and then laid back down. “That feels like forever ago, doesn't it?”

“It does, yes,” Zelda agreed. “It's only been a couple months, but it feels like that day was in another world entirely. Everything changed that night.”

“Yes.” Mipha swirled her wine around, watching her reflection in its pale gold surface. “I shudder to think of what might have happened if he hadn't shown up, given the day I had had up to that point.”

“No fucking kidding. And hey...” Impa rolled over onto her side, and it was a miracle she didn't spill anything this time either. “The offer is still open to go stab that Ingo asswipe, if you want. Just not with your gift, I don't wanna ruin it.”

“Thank you, but no.” Mipha giggled despite herself. “I don't want you to go to jail, after all.”

Zelda shrugged. “She can afford bail now,” she said as she took a sip of wine.

“See?” Impa grinned. “If she can be that casual about my hypothetical legal problems, then so can I. Come on. That dude is just _asking_ for a good skewering.”

“Or a mauling.” Mipha laughed even harder. “You should've seen how angry Ravio got when I told him about the slimy scales remark, I think he was ready to tear his throat out.”

“Now _that_ I would pay to see!” Impa raised her glass in the air. “Fucking cheers to that! Can we film it and put it on the internet?”

“As what, a snuff film?” Zelda wrinkled her nose. “I think that would be in _very_ poor taste. And illegal enough to get us _all_ in trouble we might not be able to pay our way out of...”

“Whatever. Money can buy basically anything if you have enough of it.” Impa sat up so she could refill her glass, and tossed some back once she had. “Which is why it's so great to finally have some.” She turned to Mipha. “Next time you can visit, you gotta come see my new place. It's not as nice as all this...” She gestured around with her free hand. “But it's pretty great. I know I've given you a video walk-through, but it's no substitute for the real thing.”

“Especially not with the connection I have.” Mipha nodded. “You're right. I shall have to do that as soon as I am able.”

“When do you think that'll be?” Zelda asked. “Do you think you'll be able to visit like this again before it's all over? Or do you have to wait the whole remaining ten months before getting away again?”

“I... honestly don't know.” Mipha shook her head. “We haven't talked about that. I was shocked, frankly, that he offered me the chance to do this.”

“It was his idea?” Zelda raised an eyebrow. “Huh. I'm surprised.”

“I'm not.” Impa crossed her legs under herself. “Like, I _wish_ I could be surprised that you didn't ask for it yourself, Mipha, but I know you better than that. I know you hate asking people for even the smallest things. So of course he had to be the one to approach you about it. Especially since you say he's a really nice guy.” She leaned forward. “Am I wrong?”

“... No.” Mipha sighed. “I know, I know it is something that I need to work on. I am trying, believe me—he has said much about the matter, telling me I should look after myself better, think about what I want, and not be afraid to ask for things. It is... difficult, but I am trying.”

“Well, I'm glad _somebody_ is getting through to you.” Impa took another drink. “Speaking of that, sort of... what are your plans for after all this is over? You'll be able to do whatever you want, so... what's on the eventual agenda?”

“Yes, that's something you haven't really talked about,” Zelda interjected. “I know you said you're taking things day by day, but surely you've given it at least a little thought by now?”

“A... little bit, yes,” Mipha admitted. “Only very little, though.”

“So?” Impa poked her. “Spill it, then.”

“Well, I...” Mipha hesitated, her gaze flitting between their faces. _How much should I tell them? They will find out eventually, I suppose_... _at least about part of it. I don't have to admit my feelings for Link until I'm ready_. “I haven't decided yet where I want to live, or anything like that... in fact, that may have to wait a bit, because I do want to take a trip as soon as I am able.”

“Ooh, a road trip?” Zelda's eyes lit up. “That sounds like a lot of fun! Where do you think you'll go?”

“I don't know yet.” Mipha looked back down at the bed. “I don't have a specific destination yet, because it is... that is, I will be searching for someone, and I don't quite know where they are, so that will remain up in the air until I go.”

“Someone?” Impa prodded her again. “Wow, be a little more fucking vague, why don't you?”

“Sorry!” Mipha managed a weak laugh. “It is just... a bit embarrassing to speak of, I suppose.”

Zelda and Impa exchanged knowing looks. “I see. So...” Zelda raised her glass, attempting to hide some of her face behind it. “What's your ex's name?”

Mipha had, unfortunately, chosen that exact moment to take a sip of her own wine again, and thus nearly spat it back out. “What? No, no, no...” She waved a hand in front of herself, even as she coughed. “He's not an ex, he—”

“ _He!_ ” Impa crowed, lifting her free hand in the air. Zelda slapped her a high-five. “I _knew_ it! What's his name? Have I ever met him?”

“No.” Mipha shook her head. “He moved away before I met you.”

“He what? Oh...” Impa made a face. “I think I remember this. That guy you were best friends with who stopped talking to you, right?”

“Yes.” Mipha's pulse quickened. “My friend Link. I want to see him again.”

“But why?” Zelda's brow knit in confusion. “Why would you want to go see someone who tossed you aside like that? I know I wouldn't.”

“Yeah, me either.” Impa scowled. “He's a jerk, Mipha, don't waste your time on that.”

“No, he...” A lump grew in her throat. “Please don't call him that. Please. You never knew him.”

“I know enough _about_ him to make that judgment, I think.” Her crimson eyes narrowed. “Come on, Mipha, I _know_ you know that it was fucking shitty of him to just stop calling and writing you like that. Like, there's being busy, I realize that, but three years of nothing? That's different, and fucked up. Why would you want to have anything to do with him anymore? There are so many better ways you could spend your time and money.”

“No, there aren't.” Her voice sharpened. “I want closure and an explanation, Impa. You cannot put a price on that. It is a loose end in my life that has haunted me all these years—surely you agree that I deserve to tie it up and find some peace?”

“We're not saying you don't deserve that, Mipha,” Zelda cut in. “I can't speak for Impa, of course, but I would bet her feelings are similar to mine—I don't want to see you get hurt again if you find him and he isn't the person you remember. If he treats you unkindly. Some things might be better off undisturbed, you know?”

“But it is my decision to make.” Mipha gripped her glass more tightly. “I know the risks. Believe me, I have thought long and hard about them. I fear that outcome too. But even still, it would be preferable to spending the rest of my life wondering what happened to him, without having any answers. It's the only way I can ever really move on.”

“Okay, fine, you have a point.” Impa sighed. “I still don't like it, but...” She reached out and took Mipha's hand. “Just know that we'll be here for you when you're done, okay? He might've abandoned you, but _we're_ not going anywhere.”

“I know,” she whispered, her eyes pricking with tears. “And that means so much to me, it really does. I am beyond grateful to have friends like you...”

“Hey, no crying, or you're gonna water down your wine and make it salty.” Impa gave her a lopsided grin. “Let's see that smile again, okay?”

Mipha couldn't help but laugh. “I should probably stop anyway, I can feel it starting to go to my head.”

“Nah, that's a sign that you should keep going.” As if to demonstrate, Impa tipped her head back and downed the rest of the wine in one go, like it was a shot. “See?”

“Yes, Impa, we both see that you are trying to be a terrible influence on her.” Zelda rolled her eyes. “Pay her no mind, Mipha.”

“Hey!” Impa whipped her head around and gave Zelda a mock glare, which only got a laugh from both her and Mipha. “Aren't you supposed to be _supportive_ of me? I don't see a whole lot of _that_ going on right now...”

“I support your _good_ choices,” Zelda said primly. “Not whatever...” She gestured at the empty glass. “That was.”

“I wouldn't necessarily call it a _bad_ choice,” Impa objected. “More like a neutral one.”

Mipha giggled. “And how do you justify labeling it as such?”

“I'm so glad you asked.” Impa smirked as she poured herself another glassful. “For one, wine is widely considered to be very healthy.”

“In moderation, which this is not,” Zelda muttered.

“Quiet.” Impa smacked Zelda's knee. “Second of all, I'm not drinking alone, like everyone says not to do. Third, and perhaps most important, where the fuck am I going after this? We're sure as shit not driving anywhere, and the furthest _I'm_ gonna walk is to the bathroom. So no one is at risk, I win this argument, check and mate.”

“If you say so.” Mipha started to take another sip, but changed her mind as Impa scowled mightily at her. Her laughter was infectious, leading Zelda to dissolve into giggles as well. Which just made Impa glare even harder at both of them. “Oh, Impa, your _face_...”

“Is flawless, I know, but beside the point.” Impa crossed her arms over her chest as best she could with a full wine glass in her hand. “You two. Are horrible and unsupportive. What do I see in you?”

“I don't think Mipha wants to hear some of the things you've said you like about me,” Zelda said, blushing as she continued to giggle. “That's rather personal.”

“Gah!” This time Impa did spill some wine, as she turned and tried to cover Zelda's mouth with her other hand. “You are the—oh, shit!” She righted herself with a look of horror. “That was an accident, I'm sorry! Sorry, Mipha!”

“It's fine, it's fine.” Mipha wiped at her eyes. “It's white, so it shouldn't stain too badly. And I won't tell Father if you don't.”

“You're the best.” Impa sagged with relief, even as she inspected the spill. “Really. You know I was kidding just now.”

“Of course.” Mipha smiled. “We know it was just all that wine talking.”

“Hey!”

“Good one, Mipha!” Zelda clutched her stomach. “Oh, it hurts...”

“Serves you right,” Impa grumbled. “No wonder that little metal monster of yours is so disrespectful. It gets it from _you_.”

“I have _no_ idea what you're talking about,” Zelda said airily. “You are the only one Terrako cannot get along with, so perhaps the problem is not where you think it lies.”

“The hell it's not.” Impa glanced over the edge of the bed. “Speaking of, where is that little hellbeast? Better not be waiting for me in the bathroom...”

“No, I let Sidon borrow Terrako, remember?” Zelda drained her glass. “I know he fell asleep, but I thought he would be so sad if he woke up and I hadn't kept my promise.”

“Excellent, now I can pee safely.” Impa took another big gulp. “No need to worry about cracking my head on the toilet and bleeding out in the middle of the night because _someone's_ unruly little robot decided to crash into me again.”

“Oh, Impa, please, I don't want to picture that.” Mipha shuddered, and drained her glass too. “I don't think Terrako would be murderous to you anyway.”

“It wouldn't be, no. And I don't want to picture that either.” Zelda gripped Impa's arm tightly. “Please don't ever joke about that kind of thing happening to you.”

“Oh, come on, if you're gonna get all maudlin on me after a little wine, maybe you shouldn't...” Impa trailed off as she saw the stricken look on Zelda's face. “Shit, sorry... I seem to be enjoying the taste of my own foot tonight, don't I?” She sighed. “Maybe you're right, I should probably get to bed and sleep this all off.”

“That does seem like a good idea.” Zelda let go of Impa's arm and sighed too. “I should probably do the same, even though I don't want this night to end.”

“I know what you mean.” Impa leaned back against the pillows. “These are really nice beds, though, I gotta say. So comfy it made me forget I wasn't sleeping in my own. I bet the one you have at that manor is even nicer, though, right?”

“Oh, yes, it's lovely.” Mipha pushed her hand down on the mattress. “These do seem rather good, though, I agree. It will be odd sleeping alone tonight, but I think I shall be comfortable enough otherwise.”

Something sprayed onto Mipha's face; she looked up to see Impa choking on her wine. Zelda was patting her on the back, her mouth hanging open in silent shock. “Y-you... wh...” Impa struggled to speak. “Wh... th... fuuuuu...”

“What?” Mipha blinked back at her as she wiped the spat-out wine off her cheeks. “Impa, whatever is wrong?”

“No.” Impa waved a shaking finger at Mipha. “ _No_. I refuse. You do _not_ get to just casually drop _that_ in and then pretend to be all innocent. Not even _you_ get to get away with _that._ ”

“With what?” Mipha looked back and forth between the two of them. “What did I say?” Her head felt fuzzy. “I don't understand...”

“Mipha, you said...” Zelda finally managed to pick her jaw up off the bed, her eyes still wide. “You said it would be odd to sleep _alone_ tonight...”

“I—I—I wh-wh-what?” Mipha's breath came in short gasps as her own eyes widened. Now it felt like she'd been hit with an ice arrow, shocking her system out of fuzziness and into near sobriety. “N-no, no, I...” She waved her hands in front of herself. “That—that wasn't—I—I don't know why I would say such a thing...”

“The hell you don't!” Impa coughed again. “You said it without even _thinking_ about it, that means _something_ is going on! Something you obviously don't want us to know about.”

“I, I...” Her mind raced as she scrambled to figure out a good explanation, her heart in her throat. “I...”

“Spill it. What.” Impa handed her glass to Zelda without even looking at her. “The fuck.” She crawled towards Mipha, a wild-eyed look on her face. “Is going on in that mansion?”

“I...” Mipha swallowed, leaning backwards and away from Impa. “If—if I tell you, you—you have to promise not to—”

“I'm not promising shit.” Impa's eyes narrowed. “Just tell us.”

“There's...” Mipha squeezed her eyes shut. “There's a man that—that comes to sleep in my bed every night, he—”

“There's a wh—” Impa clapped her hands over her mouth with a loud slap, falling backwards on the bed. Mipha risked opening her eyes, and cringed as she saw the horror on her friends' faces. Impa lowered her hands after a minute, still staring. “No way... no _fucking_ way, you're playing a fucking prank on me right now...”

“I'm not. But it's okay, I swear!” Mipha pressed on. “I think—I think it's a sort of, of, a—a riddle or mystery to be solved, and he's never done anything to make me uncomfortable.” Desperation rose in her voice. “I promise! He—”

“Nothing to make you uncomfortable.” Impa let out an incredulous laugh. “Oh no. Nothing but _creep into your room and sleep in your bed at night_. That's all. What a gentleman!”

“I'm not done talking!” Mipha was breathing harder. “He always sleeps at the very edge of the bed, far away from me, and has never touched me. Not once.” _Except for when I asked him to_. “And he doesn't talk, but we exchange notes, and he's—he's very considerate, I swear...”

“Considerate?” Zelda gaped at her. “Mipha, he's sleeping in your bed without permission! How on earth is that considerate?”

“He doesn't have a choice!” She wrung her hands. “He—he cannot tell me about it, but he is not doing this of his own volition, and the way he speaks to me through the notes is very considerate, yes, he is—”

“Oh, isn't _that_ convenient!” Impa let out another laugh, one that bordered on hysterical. “Two weird guys in one mansion with spells on them that keep them from explaining themselves! What are the _fucking_ odds?”

Mipha stiffened. “Are you saying that I'm lying?”

“No, I'm saying that one of _them_ is lying. Probably weird bed-sharing guy, he's the more suspicious one.” Impa held her hand out, and Zelda wordlessly handed the wine glass back to her. “What's he look like, anyway?”

“I, um...” Mipha watched Impa drink some more wine. “I... do not know, actually.”

“What?” Zelda frowned. “How long has this been going on? Why haven't you looked?”

“I—what do you mean? Do you think I am stupid?” Mipha's voice rose. “Of _course_ I've tried to look! This has been happening since I got there, why would I not try to see what he looks like?”

“Mipha, I didn't mean...” Zelda sighed. “I would never think you were—”

“Wait, wait, back it up,” Impa interrupted. “Are you saying you somehow couldn't get a glimpse of him at all? Where do you sleep, the bottom of the fucking ocean?”

 _No, but it might as well be for how little light there is_. “It's, well...” Mipha forced a tiny laugh. “It is quite impossible, as hard as that may seem to believe. For as soon as he arrives, it becomes pitch black, with nothing to be seen, and I am unable to turn on the lamps, my phone dies, and I cannot even open the curtains.”

“And that...” Impa's mouth hung open in disbelief. “None of that _bothers_ you?”

“It did at first. But now...” Mipha looked down. “I have become used to it. More than that, I welcome it. He speaks so kindly in his notes to me, that I feel as though I have made another friend, and it is strangely comforting to have someone beside me. When I have been feeling sad that day, it is good to not be so alone at night.”

 _I will not tell them I kissed him. That is information they are not ready to hear. Nor do they need to know about my fantasies of it being Link sleeping so near to me. That is my own shameful secret to keep_.

“I... wow.” Impa shook her head. “I don't even know what to say, except that that's fucking weird.”

“I know it is. I do.” Mipha cast a pleading look up at her. “But you are not there. You haven't experienced what I have. When I take a step backwards and examine the situation from without, I understand how strange and disturbing it is. But having lived it, _continuing_ to live in it... I see the strangeness, but I do not think it is that bad. I have adjusted to it, I have accepted it. I don't expect you to fully understand, but please... please have faith in me that I know what I am doing and can manage.”

“Mipha, we trust you, I promise. It's just...” Zelda bit her lip. “There's something about it that makes me so uneasy. It doesn't make any sense for your phone to fail only during those specific hours, and that's before we even get to the curtains. Why would that ever become impossible? I can't help but feel like something sinister is going on.”

“I asked him if I could see him.” Mipha took a deep breath and let it out. “He told me no.”

“That really doesn't make me feel any better,” Zelda admitted. “There's some kind of reason he's hiding his face from you, and I have a bad feeling about it.”

“Couldn't have put it any better myself.” Impa polished off her wine and wiped her mouth. “You _have_ to look at him, Mipha. Make sure he's not some kind of weird creature.”

Mipha rolled her eyes. “I already checked for a pulse, he's no Poe.”

“And that's _great_ , but it doesn't rule out other things.” Impa rolled her eyes. “He could be _anything_ in the dark. Well, maybe not a Lynel, but—”

“He's Hylian,” Mipha interrupted. “He told me. And when I reached out to try and wake him that first night, I felt his ears, so I know he's not lying.”

“As far as you know.” Impa turned to look at Zelda. “There's things out there that can disguise themselves in the dark and then reveal their true form in the light, right?”

“I, um...” Zelda's brow furrowed. “I don't _think_ so, but this isn't really my area of expertise, so...”

“Then it's magic.” Impa turned back to Mipha. “And you have to break the spell, okay? You have to find out who the fuck this guy is.”

“Impa, I told you, I _tried_.” Mipha rubbed her face. “ _Nothing works_. Whatever magic is going on, it prevents me from using any electronic devices or even opening the curtains.”

“Ah, but does it prevent anything else?” Impa grinned suddenly. “What else have you tried?”

“What?” Mipha looked blankly at her. “That's it, I don't _have_ anything else to try.”

Impa looked at Zelda. “Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Please say yes.”

“I'm pretty sure I am.” Zelda nodded, and then she and Impa directed their gazes at Mipha and spoke in unison. “A candle.”

“What?” Mipha looked back and forth between them. “I... but...”

“You really never thought of that?” Zelda asked.

“No.” Mipha shook her head. “I rarely ever use them, and I haven't seen _any_ at the manor, now that you mention it...”

“Then that does it!” Impa clapped her hands together gleefully. “We'll send you back with a candle, and you can finally take a peek at this guy, mystery solved!”

“No. No.” Mipha shook her head rapidly. “No, I don't think so... it doesn't feel right, I don't think I should...”

“It doesn't—oh, for fuck's sake.” Impa slapped her forehead. “Mipha, I'm sorry, I know you're not gonna like hearing this, but you have got this so ass backwards I can't believe it. A guy whose name and face you don't know is sleeping in your bed at night, and finding out who he is is what doesn't feel right to you?”

“No. It doesn't.” Mipha scrambled up from the bed, ignoring how dizzy it made her after all the wine. “I know you can't understand it, because you're not there, but please. Please just trust me. He told me I can't see him, and I believe him. I would be violating the trust we've built up if I did that.” Her voice shook. _It is bad enough that I took advantage of his kindness to kiss him that night, using him as a substitute for Link. To do what they are telling me to do... no, I cannot risk it. I can't trespass upon him further_.

“You're right, I don't get it. I don't get it at all.” Impa let out a frustrated groan. “Come _on_ , Mipha. It's great that you're a trusting, kind person and all that, but even you have to draw the line somewhere, and I feel like this freak in your bed should be that place. He—”

“He is not a _freak_.” Mipha's teeth scraped against each other as she gritted them. “And I can make my _own_ decisions about who to trust, _thank you_. Good _night_.”

Ignoring their attempts at calling her back, Mipha left the room, remembering just in time not to slam the door behind herself lest she wake her father and Sidon. It was hard not to slam her _own_ door when she got back to her room, she was so furious and shaking with it. She started to throw her shawl down on the floor in anger, but stopped herself as she remembered that it was a gift from Ravio. Her shoulders sagging, Mipha folded it and laid it gently on the dresser. Her heart was still racing, but now there were tears in her eyes as well as she turned out the lights and crawled into bed after taking a brief peek at the picture of Link she'd stuck in her bag.

 _They don't understand. I didn't expect them to, of course, but I do wish they would show more trust in my judgment. I am just as much an adult as they are, and I am not the naive little girl they seem to see me as. I am perfectly capable of looking carefully at my own situation and making the decisions I feel are best for me. Ravio is my friend, and he needs my help. And the man who sleeps in my bed... I feel an ache in my heart for him as well. I know it must sound so foolish to them, but they have not read his letters. They did not see him put a blanket over me when I dozed on the couch. They... were not there when he comforted me after that awful dream. When he so kindly held me when I asked him to. When he ran from me after I kissed him. If he truly had ill intentions, he would not have done that, I am sure of it. He wanted me to make up my own mind about trusting him. Oh, I should have mentioned that, why didn't I? Why is it so hard to remember the things you should say in the heat of the moment like that? Ugh_.

Mipha sighed and rolled over, pressing her face into the pillow. It was dark enough in here that she wouldn't have any trouble falling asleep once her mind calmed down, but all the same it was hard not to miss the true darkness that came with his arrival. Or maybe she just missed him.

_After so long having him beside me, it really is strange sleeping alone. Strange, and sad. I never thought I would become so attached to having someone share my bed like this, especially under such circumstances, yet here I am. Perhaps it is because I am so fond of imagining him as Link? It could be, at least partly. The care with which he has treated me is reason enough even outside of that, though. He has earned my trust several times over. I doubt I would have felt comfortable accepting his touch that night, or asking him to hold me, if he hadn't. He is a kind person who doesn't have any interest in hurting me. I know that. Even if they refuse to accept it, I will continue to believe in what I have experienced for myself._

_Oh well._ Mipha closed her eyes and sighed. _As lonely as this bed feels without him, it is only one night. Tomorrow I will go home, and everything will be fine._


End file.
